Compare
The Best FreshBooks Alternative for Self-Employed Canadians
FreshBooks is invoicing-first and priced for agencies. If you're a self-employed Canadian who needs a T2125 and GST/HST tracking, here's a leaner, cheaper fit.
A
Accountly Team·
Built for self-employed
Bookkeeping for Canadian photographers
Invoice clients, track gear depreciation, log travel and second-shooter costs, and see your real profit per shoot, with a T2125 that's ready when tax season comes.
Start free for 30 days No credit card required
You shoot. You edit. Then the books pile up.
Between weddings, deposits land, gear receipts scatter, and the second shooter needs paying. By tax time you're guessing what your camera should depreciate and which lens you bought when. Accountly keeps the money organized so you can stay behind the lens.
Invoice clients and track deposits
Send professional invoices with your branding, collect deposits, and see what's paid and outstanding. When a client pays, the income lands in your books automatically, deposits included.
-
Custom invoices with your logo and terms - Deposits and retainers recorded as income
- Track paid, outstanding, and overdue at a glance
Gear deductions, made easier
Photograph the camera-store receipt and Accountly helps you sort it, smaller gear deducted now, bodies and lenses over $500 tracked as capital assets with their depreciation. Less guessing at CCA.
- Receipt capture from your phone camera
- Capital assets and depreciation, organized to help you claim CCA
- GST/HST input tax credits tracked on eligible expenses once you're registered
T2125-ready all year, not just in April
Your T2125 totals update with every booking and expense. When tax season hits, the numbers are done, backed by receipts and organized by CRA category. File yourself or hand it to your accountant.
- T2125 line items calculated in real time
- Every expense backed by a receipt or note
- Invite your accountant for direct access
Deductions photographers actually claim
Built into Accountly's categories from day one.
📷
Cameras & lenses
Your bodies, glass, and lighting are capital assets. Accountly tracks them and the depreciation you claim each year.
💻
Editing rig & software
Lightroom, Capture One, Premiere, your editing workstation. The tools you process shoots on are deductible.
🖼️
Galleries & booking software
Pixieset, ShootProof, Dubsado, HoneyBook. Client galleries and CRM subscriptions are current expenses.
🚗
Travel to shoots
Mileage to venues, flights and hotels for destination weddings, parking. Keep a log and the business purpose.
👥
Second shooters & editors
Pay an assistant, second shooter, or editor? Deductible subcontractor costs with a proper invoice.
🏠
Home studio & editing space
A dedicated office or shooting space at home earns you a percentage of rent, utilities, and internet.
🖨️
Prints & albums (COGS)
The cost to produce prints, albums, and canvases you sell is deducted against that revenue.
🎒
Bags, props & rentals
Camera bags, backdrops, props, and gear rented for a specific shoot.
📣
Marketing & website
Your portfolio site, hosting, ads, and the second-shooter network that brings you work.
Tax guides for photographers
Written for self-employed Canadians behind the lens.
Guide
House Cleaner & Housekeeper Taxes in Canada: Cash, Supplies, and the T2125
A tax guide for self-employed Canadian house cleaners — reporting cash income, deducting supplies and mileage, paying helpers, and the GST/HST $30K threshold.
A
Accountly Team·
Guide
New to Canada and Self-Employed? Your First Tax Return, Explained
A first-timer's guide to filing self-employed taxes as a newcomer to Canada — the T2125, GST/HST, your SIN, CPP, what to set aside, and the deadlines that matter.
A
Accountly Team·
Guide
Photographer & Videographer Taxes in Canada: Gear, Travel, and the T2125
A tax guide for self-employed photographers and videographers in Canada — depreciating cameras and lenses, deducting travel and second shooters, and GST/HST on shoots.
A
Accountly Team·Photographer tax FAQs
Do self-employed photographers file a T2125 in Canada?
Yes. Wedding, portrait, real estate, and product photography income is self-employment income reported on a T2125 Statement of Business or Professional Activities with your T1 return.
How does Accountly handle camera gear that depreciates?
Snap the receipt and Accountly helps you separate smaller gear you deduct in full from cameras and lenses over $500 that are capital assets, so it's easier to claim Capital Cost Allowance instead of guessing.
Can I track income per shoot or client?
Yes. Attach income and expenses to a client or project to see your real profit per wedding or session, and to pass costs through on an invoice.
When do photographers need to register for GST/HST?
Once revenue crosses $30,000 over four consecutive quarters, registration is mandatory and you charge GST/HST on bookings, while claiming it back on your gear. Accountly tracks your revenue so you know where you stand.
How do I handle deposits and retainers?
Deposits count as income when received. Accountly records them so your books reflect what actually landed, not just final invoices.
Can I invite my accountant?
Yes. Invite your accountant for direct read or edit access to your income, expenses, and T2125 totals, no exports or email attachments.
Stay behind the lens. Let Accountly handle the books.
Free for 30 days. No credit card required.