Tax Center

What it estimates

Comma builds your estimate from your own records, using CRA rules. The starting point is taxable income:

 taxable income = gross + tips + bonus
 − deductible expenses (each weighted by its business-use %)
 − mileage deduction

From that taxable income, Comma estimates the pieces below.

CPP and QPP

Canada Pension Plan contributions on your self-employment income, including the CPP2 upper tier for earnings above the first ceiling. If your province is Quebec, Comma uses the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) instead.

Income tax

Estimated as your taxable income multiplied by the set-aside / withholding rate you set. This is a planning figure, not a bracket-by-bracket return — it tells you roughly how much to hold back from each dollar.

HST / GST

Remittable sales tax is estimated only if you mark yourself HST-registered. When you do, Comma estimates what you owe as tax collected minus your input tax credits. In Ontario the rate is 13%. If you're not registered, this section stays out of your way.

The mileage write-off is a deduction, never cash

The mileage write-off reduces your taxable income and appears as a deduction line. It is never presented as money earned. Driving 100 km at the CRA rate lowers the income you're taxed on — it does not add to your take-home. This distinction is load-bearing throughout Comma; see Standard mileage vs actual.

The Tax Jar

The Tax Jar is a manual set-aside balance you keep per year. Its target is your gross earnings times your rate — the amount you should have parked for taxes. A quick-add button lets you record money as you move it aside, and the jar shows how close you are to the target. Nothing moves real money; it's a tracker for the habit of setting tax aside.

Deadlines

Comma tracks the Canadian dates and reminds you roughly ten days ahead of each:

Threshold alerts

When a platform that issues a T4A passes CAD 500 in earnings for the year, Comma flags it — that's the point the slip becomes relevant to your return.

Export

Export a tax summary as JSON or CSV to hand to an accountant or keep for your records.

A note on other countries

Comma ships for Canada only, and every number above uses CRA rules. Definitions for other countries were removed until their tax numbers can be verified — see Countries.

Related

• Vehicles — tax profiles and deduction methods per vehicle
• Core Concepts — standard mileage vs actual expenses