Help Center

To start using Clear Bill, you need to create a free account. No credit card is required.

1. Click Start Free Trial on the Clear Bill website.
2. Enter your full name, email address, and create a password (minimum 6 characters).
3. Confirm your password by entering it again.
4. Click "Sign Up" to create your account.

After signing up, Clear Bill sends a verification email to confirm your address.

1. Check your inbox for an email from Clear Bill. Check your spam or junk folder if you don't see it.
2. Click the confirmation link in the email. This will verify your account and redirect you to the app.
3. If the email didn't arrive, click "Resend Verification Email" on the verification screen.

After verifying your email and logging in for the first time, a 4-step onboarding wizard helps you set up your business information. This information appears on your invoices.

The Dashboard is your home screen. Four metric cards give you a quick financial overview:

Below the metrics, you'll see your 10 most recent invoices with invoice number, client name, due date, total, and status. Click any invoice to view its details, or use "View All" to see your complete invoice list.

Client information is stored and reused across invoices, saving you time.

1. Click Clients in the navigation menu.
2. Tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner.
3. Fill in the client's name (required), email, and phone number.
4. Add their street address, city, province, and postal code. This appears on the invoice.
5. Optionally add internal notes (visible only to you, not on invoices).
6. Click "Save".

Editing

Tap on a client's name in the list to edit their details. Changes will not affect previously sent invoices.

Searching

Use the search bar at the top of the client list to find clients by name. The list filters in real time as you type.

Archiving

If you no longer work with a client, archive them instead of deleting. Archived clients are hidden from the default list and the invoice client selector.

• Open the client and select "Archive" from the action menu.
• Toggle "Show Archived" on the client list to see archived clients.
• To restore, open the archived client and select "Unarchive".

1. Click Invoices in the navigation menu.
2. Tap the blue + button in the bottom-right corner.
3. Select a client from the dropdown (only active clients are shown).
4. Choose the currency (CAD or USD). This determines which money account the payments will be linked to.
5. Set the issue date (defaults to today) and due date.
6. Add one or more line items (see below).
7. Review the auto-calculated subtotal, taxes, and total.
8. Click "Save" to save as a draft.

Each invoice must have at least one line item. For each item, enter:

The amount (quantity × rate) and applicable taxes are calculated automatically. Use Add Item to add more lines and the delete icon to remove one.

Clear Bill automatically calculates the correct Canadian sales taxes based on your business province. Taxes are applied per line item and rounded to 2 decimal places before being summed. This follows CRA guidelines.

The tax summary shows:

• Subtotal — sum of all line item amounts before tax
• GST (or TPS in Quebec) — federal goods and services tax
• PST (or QST/TVQ in Quebec) — provincial sales tax, if applicable
• HST — harmonized sales tax (combined federal + provincial)
• Total — the final amount due

When you save a new invoice, it is created with a Draft status. Draft invoices can be freely edited — you can change the client, dates, line items, and amounts. Once an invoice has been sent, it can no longer be edited.

Sending an invoice emails it directly to your client with a professional PDF attachment.

1. Navigate to Invoices and tap on the invoice you want to send.
2. Select "Send" from the action menu.
3. The invoice status changes to Sent and a timestamped record is created.

Your client receives an email with the invoice details and a PDF attachment.

When you receive a payment, record it to keep your books accurate. Clear Bill supports partial payments — you can record multiple payments against a single invoice.

1. Open the invoice detail screen.
2. Click "Record Payment".
3. Enter the amount (defaults to the remaining balance), payment date, payment method, and optional notes.
4. Click "Record Payment" to save.

The status automatically updates to Partially Paid if a balance remains, or Paid once the full amount is received. All payments appear in the Payment History section on the invoice.

Each payment is automatically linked to your matching currency money account as a deposit. You can see these in the Accounts screen.

Voiding a payment: Click Void next to any payment in the history. You must provide a reason. Voided payments remain visible for audit purposes but no longer count toward the balance. A reversal transaction is created in the money account.

Duplicate an invoice to quickly create a new one with the same client, line items, and amounts. This is useful for recurring services.

1. Open the invoice you want to copy.
2. Select "Duplicate" from the action menu.
3. A new draft is created with a new invoice number and today's date. Edit any details as needed.

If an invoice was sent in error or is no longer valid, void it rather than deleting it. Voiding preserves the record for your accounting history.

1. Open the invoice detail screen.
2. Select "Void" from the action menu.
3. Confirm the action in the dialog.

Download a professional PDF of any invoice for your records or to send manually.

1. Open the invoice detail screen.
2. Select "Download PDF" from the action menu.
3. The PDF opens in your browser. Use your browser's save or print function to keep a copy.

For overdue or unpaid invoices, send a reminder email to your client.

1. Open the unpaid invoice.
2. Select "Send Reminder" from the action menu.
3. Your client receives a reminder email referencing the invoice number and amount due.

An invoice moves through statuses as follows:

An invoice can be voided at any stage before being paid. Overdue status is set automatically when the due date passes.

Update your business information at any time from Settings in the navigation menu. All fields from the onboarding wizard are editable:

Business Name (required), Business Email, Phone, Street Address, City, Province (required), Postal Code, CRA Business Number, and Website.

Clear Bill automatically numbers your invoices using a prefix followed by a sequential number (e.g., INV-0001, INV-0002). The default prefix is "INV".

Customize the prefix in your business profile. For example, use your initials (JD-0001) or company abbreviation (CB-0001).

Personalize how your invoice PDFs look:

1. Go to Settings > Business Profile
2. Invoice Accent Color — tap the color swatch to open a color picker. This color is used for headings, lines, and the "INVOICE" title on your PDFs.
3. Payment Terms — enter your standard terms (e.g., "Net 30 days", "Due on receipt"). This text appears at the bottom of every invoice PDF.
4. Click Save Changes

If you record expenses in USD, you need exchange rates so reports can convert amounts to CAD:

1. Go to Settings > Exchange Rates
2. Click Add Rate
3. Select the Effective Date — the rate applies from this date until a newer rate is entered
4. Enter the USD to CAD rate (e.g., 1.3650)
5. Click Save

Your time zone determines when daily operations run (like recurring invoice generation and overdue checks):

1. Go to Settings > Business Profile
2. Select your Time Zone from the dropdown
3. Click Save Changes

Clear Bill auto-detects your browser's time zone on first setup. All six Canadian time zones are supported (Newfoundland, Atlantic, Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific).

When you sign up, you get a 14-day free trial of Pro with full access — including team features. No credit card required. After the trial, your account moves to the Free plan (1 user, 3 invoices/month).

Upgrading to Pro

1. Go to Settings in the navigation menu.
2. Click "Manage Subscription" or navigate to the Subscription screen.
3. Click "Upgrade".
4. Complete payment on the secure Stripe checkout page.
5. Your account is immediately upgraded with full access.

Managing your subscription

Paid subscribers can update their payment method, view billing history, or cancel by clicking "Manage Subscription", which opens the Stripe billing portal.

Clear Bill follows CRA-compliant rounding rules:

1. Per-line calculation: Each line item's taxable amount (qty × rate) is multiplied by the applicable tax rate(s).
2. Per-line rounding: Tax for each line item is rounded to 2 decimal places individually.
3. Sum totals: Rounded tax amounts from all lines are summed to produce the invoice's total GST, PST/QST, or HST.
4. Tax-exempt items: Line items marked as tax-exempt are excluded from all calculations.

Keep track of the businesses and individuals you purchase from by managing vendors in Clear Bill.

1. Click Vendors in the navigation menu.
2. Tap the blue + button to add a new vendor.
3. Enter the vendor's name (required), email, phone number, and address.
4. Click "Save" to store the vendor.

To edit a vendor, tap on their name in the vendor list and update any details. Changes do not affect previously recorded expenses.

When adding or editing an expense, you can associate it with a vendor by selecting from the vendor dropdown. This lets you filter and review spending by vendor in your reports.

If you no longer work with a vendor, archive them to keep your vendor list clean.

• Open the vendor and select "Archive" from the action menu.
• Toggle "Show Archived" on the vendor list to see archived vendors.
• To restore, open the archived vendor and select "Unarchive".

Track your business expenses to claim Input Tax Credits and keep accurate records for CRA filing.

1. Click Expenses in the navigation menu.
2. Tap the blue + button to add a new expense.
3. Enter a description, amount, and date.
4. Choose the currency (CAD or USD). The expense will be linked to the matching money account.
5. Select a GIFI category from the dropdown (e.g., 8811 Office Supplies, 8760 Business Fees).
6. Enter the tax paid (GST/HST/PST for CAD expenses, or foreign tax for USD expenses).
7. Select a vendor from the dropdown to associate this expense with a vendor.
8. Optionally upload a receipt image by tapping the upload icon.
9. Click "Save" to record the expense.

Each expense is automatically linked to your matching currency money account as a withdrawal. You can see these in the Accounts screen.

If an expense was recorded in error, void it rather than deleting it. This preserves your audit trail.

1. Open the expense from the expense list.
2. Select "Void" from the action menu.
3. Confirm the action. Voided expenses remain visible but are excluded from reports.

Every expense in Clear Bill requires a GIFI category for accurate tax reporting. GIFI (General Index of Financial Information) categories map directly to CRA GIFI codes used on corporate tax returns.

1. When adding or editing an expense, locate the GIFI Category dropdown.
2. Select the category that best matches the expense (e.g., 8811 Office Supplies, 8760 Business Fees).
3. If none of the system categories fit, you can add a custom GIFI category from Settings > GIFI Categories.

Keep digital copies of your receipts attached directly to each expense for easy record-keeping and CRA compliance.

1. Open an expense or create a new one.
2. Click the "Upload Receipt" button.
3. Select an image file from your device (JPEG, PNG, or PDF).
4. A preview of the uploaded receipt is displayed on the expense.

You can replace an existing receipt by uploading a new file, or remove it entirely if it was attached in error.

Use the filtering options on the expense list to quickly find specific expenses.

• Category dropdown — filter expenses by GIFI category to see all expenses of a specific type.
• Vendor dropdown — filter by vendor to review spending with a specific supplier.
• Date range picker — set a start and end date to view expenses within a specific period.

Filters can be combined. For example, select a vendor and a date range to see all expenses from that vendor in a given quarter.

Clear Bill generates CRA-ready tax summaries so you know exactly how much tax you collected and how much you can claim as Input Tax Credits.

1. Click Reports in the navigation menu.
2. Select the report type: Quarterly, Annual, or Custom Date Range.
3. Choose the period (e.g., Q1 2026, Full Year 2026, or set a custom start and end date).
4. Click "Generate" to view the summary.

The report shows:

• Total revenue from paid invoices in the period
• Tax collected (GST/HST/PST) from invoices
• Total expenses recorded in the period
• Input Tax Credits (ITCs) from expenses
• Net tax owing (collected minus ITCs)

The net tax owing is the key figure on your tax report. It represents the difference between the GST/HST you collected from clients and the Input Tax Credits (ITCs) you claimed on business expenses.

• GST/HST Collected — the total sales tax you charged on your invoices during the period.
• Input Tax Credits (ITCs) — the total tax you paid on eligible business expenses during the period.
• Net Tax Owing — collected tax minus ITCs. This is the amount you owe the CRA.

The GIFI (General Index of Financial Information) summary groups your expenses by CRA-standard GIFI codes. This is the format accountants need for T2 corporate tax returns.

1. Go to Reports and select "GIFI Summary".
2. Choose the date range (quarter or full year).
3. Review the summary, which shows totals grouped by GIFI code.
4. Click "Download CSV" to export the data.

You can also export individual datasets:

• Expense CSV — all expenses with GIFI codes, amounts, and tax paid
• Tax Summary CSV — collected vs ITCs breakdown by period
• GIFI Summary CSV — expense totals grouped by GIFI code

Clear Bill comes with a set of system GIFI categories pre-loaded from CRA standard codes. These cover common expense types like office supplies, advertising, and professional fees.

However, every business is different. If the system categories don't fully cover your needs, you can create custom GIFI categories tailored to your specific business expenses or revenue streams.

• System categories — pre-loaded, read-only GIFI codes that cannot be edited or deleted.
• Custom categories — created by you, fully editable, and available alongside system categories in dropdowns.

Add your own GIFI categories to match your business's specific expense or revenue classifications.

1. Go to Settings > GIFI Categories.
2. Click "Add Category".
3. Enter the GIFI code (a 4-digit number matching CRA's GIFI index).
4. Enter a descriptive name for the category.
5. Select the type: Revenue or Expense.
6. Click "Save" to add the category.

You can change your password in two ways depending on your situation:

Forgot your password

1. Click "Forgot password?" on the login screen.
2. Enter the email address associated with your account.
3. Check your inbox for a password reset link and follow the instructions.

Update from your profile

1. Go to Settings in the navigation menu.
2. Navigate to your profile settings.
3. Enter your new password and confirm it.
4. Click "Update Password" to save.

View and manage your subscription plan directly from the app.

1. Go to Settings > Subscription.
2. View your current plan (Free or Pro) and billing status.
3. To upgrade, click "Upgrade to Pro" and complete payment through the secure Stripe checkout.
4. To manage billing, update your payment method, or cancel, click "Manage Subscription" to open the Stripe billing portal.

Clear Bill allows you to export your financial data at any time for your own records or to share with your accountant.

• Tax Report CSV — export your quarterly or annual tax summary as a CSV file.
• GIFI Summary CSV — export expenses grouped by GIFI code for T2 tax returns.
• Profit & Loss CSV — export your revenue and expense summary for any period.
• Invoice PDFs — download a professional PDF of any invoice at any time from the invoice detail screen.

Automate invoicing for retainer clients and subscription services:

1. Click Recurring in the sidebar
2. Click New Recurring
3. Select the Client, Frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually), and First Issue Date
4. Select a Revenue Category (GIFI)
5. Add Line Items — these will be copied to each generated invoice
6. Toggle Auto-send to client to email the invoice automatically when generated
7. Toggle Notify me on creation to receive an email when each invoice is generated
8. Click Create Recurring Invoice

From the Recurring list, you can:

• Pause — temporarily stop invoice generation without deleting the schedule
• Resume — reactivate a paused recurring invoice
• Delete — permanently remove the recurring schedule (previously generated invoices are not affected)

Each recurring invoice shows the client, frequency, next issue date, and estimated amount.

Estimates let you quote a price before committing to an invoice:

1. Click Estimates in the sidebar
2. Click New Estimate
3. Fill in the same fields as an invoice (client, line items, category)
4. Click Save Estimate

Estimates use a separate EST- numbering prefix so they are easily distinguishable from invoices.

When a client approves your estimate:

1. Open the estimate from the Estimates list
2. Click Convert to Invoice
3. A new invoice is created with all the same line items and a new INV- number
4. You are redirected to the new invoice, ready to send

Estimates support the same actions as invoices:

• Send — email the estimate to your client for review
• Send Reminder — follow up on estimates that haven't been responded to
• Download PDF — save a PDF copy
• Edit — modify the estimate details
• Duplicate — create a copy for similar projects

For purchases from US vendors or cross-border services:

1. Create or edit an expense
2. Select USD — US Dollar from the Currency dropdown
3. The tax fields change: instead of GST/HST and PST, you see a single Tax Paid field for US sales tax, VAT, or other foreign tax
4. Enter the amounts in USD

All reports (Profit & Loss, Tax Summary, GIFI) display totals in CAD. USD expenses are automatically converted using your exchange rates.

In the expense list, USD expenses show:

• The CAD equivalent as the primary amount
• The original USD amount in smaller text below

If no exchange rate is set for an expense's date, the USD amount is used at face value. Set up exchange rates in Settings > Exchange Rates for accurate reporting.

When you create an invoice in USD, Canadian tax toggles (GST/PST/HST) are hidden. Instead, a single Tax field appears where you can enter any foreign tax amount (e.g., US sales tax).

The invoice PDF displays this as a single "Tax" line rather than separate Canadian tax lines.

For recurring invoices in USD, the generated draft will have zero tax. Edit the draft to add the applicable foreign tax before sending.

Money Accounts track running balances in each currency your business uses (CAD and USD). They give you a clear picture of money flowing in and out.

When you set up your business, two accounts are created automatically: a CAD Operating Account and a USD Operating Account. Each currency has exactly one account. You can rename them from the account detail screen.

When you record a payment on an invoice, a deposit is automatically created in the matching currency money account. When you record an expense, a withdrawal is automatically created.

If you void a payment or expense, a reversal transaction is created in the money account to preserve the audit trail.

You can also add manual transactions for cash flows not tied to invoices or expenses:

• Deposits: Loans received, refunds, transfers in
• Withdrawals: Loan repayments, salary, dividends, owner draws, transfers out

Click Add Transaction on any account, choose the type, enter the amount and a description.

You can select multiple invoices or expenses to perform bulk actions:

1. Long-press (or long-click) any item in the invoice or expense list to enter selection mode
2. Tap additional items to add them to the selection
3. The header shows how many items are selected
4. Click Void Selected to void all selected items
5. Click Cancel to exit selection mode