: Restaurant Owner Streamlines GST/QST and Boosts Cash Flow

A Montreal restaurant owner was constantly stressed about GST/QST filings, refund delays, and cash-flow shortages. With hundreds of transactions per day, staff turnover, supplier invoices piling up, and a POS system that wasn’t configured properly, the restaurant’s tax filings were always late, inaccurate, or missing documentation. After partnering with Mackisen, everything changed the business became fully compliant, refund-positive, and far more profitable.

This real success story shows how smarter GST/QST processes transformed the restaurant’s finances and eliminated constant administrative pressure.

The Situation: Daily Chaos and Tax Confusion

The restaurant faced:
• POS sales that didn’t match bank deposits
• missing invoices from food suppliers
• delivery app payouts (Uber, DoorDash, Skip) that were not reconciled
• incorrect GST/QST coding in accounting software
• cash transactions that didn’t match declared revenue
• late GST/QST filings
• refund delays due to incomplete documentation

Revenu Québec sent multiple reminders and threatened verification.

The Real Problems Behind the Scenes

Mackisen identified several chronic issues:
• different POS systems were exporting inconsistent sales data
• delivery app fees and commissions weren’t accounted for properly
• food supplier invoices lacked proper tax breakdowns
• staff made manual POS entries with wrong tax codes
• bookkeeping was behind by months
• input tax credits/refunds (ITCs/ITRs) were incomplete or incorrect

Without fixing these structural problems, the restaurant risked penalties and audits.

How Mackisen Transformed the Restaurant’s Compliance

Step 1 — Rebuilding Daily Sales Tracking

Mackisen consolidated:
• dine-in sales
• online orders
• delivery app payouts
• credit/debit sales
• cash reconciliations

A unified daily sales summary was created, eliminating discrepancies.

Step 2 — Fixing the POS System

The team:
• corrected GST/QST rates
• fixed taxable vs. exempt menu items
• eliminated manual overrides
• synced POS with accounting software

Now the numbers matched every day, every shift.

Step 3 — Organizing Supplier Invoices

Restaurant suppliers often deliver paper invoices that get lost.
Mackisen:
• digitized all invoices
• categorized them
• checked everyone for GST/QST numbers
• rebuilt ITC/ITR schedules

Refund eligibility increased dramatically.

Step 4 — Reconciliation and Cleanup

The team reconstructed months of bookkeeping:
• reconciled bank accounts
• matched deposits to sales
• corrected duplicate entries
• separated personal and business transactions

Everything finally balanced.

Step 5 — Filing Accurate GST/QST Returns

With clean data, Mackisen:
• recalculated taxes
• filed multiple periods
• resolved discrepancies
• accelerated refund release

Revenu Québec accepted all filings.

Step 6 — Cash Flow Optimization

Mackisen helped the owner:
• project upcoming GST/QST payments
• forecast seasonal fluctuations
• improve supplier payment timing
• reduce unnecessary expenses
• stabilize monthly cash flow

The restaurant gained financial breathing room.

The Outcome

Within three months:
• all GST/QST returns were filed
• no penalties were assessed
• refunds were released
• accounting became predictable
• cash flow improved significantly
• the owner had full control over financial operations

The restaurant now runs confidently with clean, audit-ready books.

Key Lessons

• Restaurants are high-risk for GST/QST errors due to volume and complexity
• POS configuration is critical one wrong setting can corrupt months of data
• Delivery app payouts must be reconciled properly
• Supplier invoice documentation determines refund eligibility
• Clean monthly bookkeeping eliminates compliance stress

Client Quote

“My books were a mess, and refunds were always delayed. Mackisen fixed everything and completely changed how my restaurant runs.”

Common Questions

Why are restaurants often audited?
Because of cash transactions, high sales volume, and inconsistent POS systems.

Can a restaurant recover past GST/QST refunds?
Yes with reconstructed documentation.

Do delivery apps complicate sales tax?
Absolutely their fees, commissions, and payouts must be reconciled carefully.

Does late filing always mean penalties?
Not if professional action is taken quickly.

Why Mackisen

With more than 35 years of combined CPA experience, Mackisen CPA Montreal specializes in restaurant accounting and GST/QST compliance. We streamline systems, prevent tax problems, and strengthen financial health even for the busiest restaurants.