---
key: remit-sales-tax
title: File and remit sales tax
audience: staff
section: bookkeeping
routes: ["/bookkeeping/reports", "/bookkeeping/reports/remit"]
permissions: ["bookkeeping.settings.manage"]
features: ["bookkeeping"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: "Read how much sales tax you owe for a period, then record the remittance from the bank account you paid it from so the tax accounts clear."
keywords: [GST, HST, PST, QST, VAT, sales tax return, remittance, tax filing, input tax credits, ITC, tax owed]
related: [run-a-financial-report, close-the-books-for-a-period, categorize-bank-transactions]
---

In the sidebar, open **Bookkeeping**, then **Sales Tax & Reports**. The page address is `/bookkeeping/reports`. The remittance window opens at `/bookkeeping/reports/remit`.

## Before you start

- The numbers come from the sales tax on your invoices and the tax you picked on bank lines and expenses. Categorize the period first, with tax, so nothing is missed. See [[categorize-bank-transactions]].
- File the return with the tax authority the way you always do. This page records the payment in your books; it does not file for you.
- Your role needs permission to manage bookkeeping settings to see **File / remit this period**. Reading the report needs report permission only.

## Steps

1. Set **From** and **To** at the top of the page to your filing period, for example a quarter.
2. Open the **Sales Tax** tab. It shows **Tax collected on sales**, **Input tax credits (ITC)** for tax you can claim back, and **Net to remit**, the amount you owe. When the credits are larger than the tax collected, the net is negative.
3. File the return and pay it from your bank.
4. Press **File / remit this period** under the table. The **File / remit sales tax** window opens for the same date range.
5. Under **Remit from (bank account)**, pick the bank account you paid from.
6. Press **Remit this period**. Nova asks you to confirm that this posts the remittance entry for the period. Confirm with **File**.
7. Nova shows **Sales-tax remittance posted.** The tax accounts are cleared for the period and the net amount comes out of the bank account you picked (or goes into it, for a refund), dated the **To** date.

## What you see

- The **Sales Tax** tab still shows the same three lines for the period after you file, because the remittance itself is left out of the report. You can check any past period this way.
- Filing the same period again replaces the earlier remittance instead of adding a second one.
- The remittance already takes the money out of the bank account in your books. When the bank line for that payment arrives, leave it uncategorized; categorizing it as well would count the payment twice. You can still tick it when you reconcile.

## If something looks different

- **File / remit this period** is missing: your role cannot manage bookkeeping settings. Ask your admin.
- **Remit this period** is greyed out: you have not picked a bank account.
- **Net to remit** looks too high: some purchases were saved without tax. Check the **Tax** on each expense and the **Sales tax** picked on each bank line.
- The overview's **Sales tax to remit (YTD)** card does not match: the card is year to date, this tab is the range you set.

[[route:/bookkeeping/reports|Open Reports]]