XBert Type: Standard
Accounting Software: Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks Online
Country Restriction: Canada only
Risk Type: Tax Risk
Business Function: Purchases
Overview
XBert has found bills over CA$30 that carry sales tax but have no supporting document attached. Attaching the supplier invoice or receipt is not strictly mandatory, but it gives you the evidence you need to support your input tax credit (ITC) claims under the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) GST/HST rules. Keeping this documentation in place protects your claims and makes any future review or audit much smoother.
What it does
XBert reviews the bills in your accounting software and lists those that are missing a supporting attachment. A bill is included when it:
Has a total over CA$30.
Carries sales tax (the tax amount is greater than zero).
Is dated within the last 12 months.
Has no attached document.
The qualifying bills for each month are grouped into a single alert that shows how many bills are affected, along with the combined subtotal and tax.
How it works
XBert checks each bill for an actual attached file rather than relying on a status flag. This means a bill that genuinely has a document attached is not flagged, even if its records are out of date. A bill is only flagged when it has no attached file at all.
To keep the focus on bills that matter for your GST/HST records, XBert deliberately leaves some bills out. It ignores bills of CA$30 or less, bills with no sales tax, and bills older than 12 months. It also ignores bills that have been deleted or voided. Draft bills are included on purpose, so you are reminded to attach the document before you finalise or pay the bill.
Example/Use Case
Priya, a small business owner in Ontario, receives a CA$250 bill from a cleaning supplier and records it in her accounting software, but forgets to attach the supplier's invoice. On its next review, XBert flags the bill as missing its attachment. Priya finds the original invoice in her email, uploads it to the bill, and now has the documentation she needs to support the input tax credit she will claim on her next GST/HST return.
Accounting software
This XBert works with the major accounting platforms, including:
Xero
MYOB
QuickBooks Online
Which countries it supports
This alert is designed for businesses operating in Canada, in line with the CRA's GST/HST record-keeping requirements. It runs for Canadian organisations only.
Processes
This XBert sits within your Purchases process, helping you keep your bill records accurate and complete. To resolve it:
Review the bills XBert has flagged as missing an attachment.
Find the supporting document for each one, such as the supplier invoice or receipt.
Upload the document to the matching bill in your accounting software.
Check that each document shows the supplier, date, amount and tax, so it qualifies as supporting evidence under CRA guidelines.
Once the documents are attached, mark the XBert as resolved.
Dealing with these alerts promptly keeps your GST/HST records complete and ready, reducing the risk of problems during a review or audit.