POS, payroll and accounting software for Manitoba businesses
Manitoba runs its own retail sales tax and its own payroll levy, and both need tracking separately from the federal side. Sero keeps RST apart from GST, tracks the HAPSE levy and pays Manitoba holidays by the provincial formula.
Manitoba, handled by Sero
RST as its own tax
Manitoba’s 7% retail sales tax posts to its own liability account, apart from the 5% GST, for its own return.
HAPSE levy tracked
SeroPayroll tracks Manitoba remuneration for the Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy so you can see where you stand against the threshold.
Manitoba holiday formula
General holiday pay at 5% of the prior four weeks’ wages, excluding overtime, calculated per employee.
Overtime after 8 or 40
Daily and weekly thresholds apply together under The Employment Standards Code, at time-and-a-half.
WCB Manitoba earnings
Assessable earnings per pay run are kept for your annual WCB Manitoba payroll report.
Per-item tax codes
SeroPOS lets each item carry GST only, GST plus RST or an exemption, so mixed baskets total correctly.
One company, one login, three products that share their numbers
SeroPOS
The point of sale built for the rush.
Point of sale for restaurants and retail — tables, kitchen tickets, inventory, loyalty and online ordering on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac.
SeroBooks
The books, the store, the bank. One ledger.
Accounting that runs the whole business — invoicing, inventory, banking, sales tax, payroll and year-end for Canada and the United States.
SeroPayroll
Payroll for every province. Right to the cent.
Canadian payroll for all 13 provinces and territories — CPP, EI, QPP, vacation, stat holidays, remittances, T4s and ROEs.
GST and Manitoba RST
Manitoba charges the 5% GST and a 7% provincial retail sales tax (RST), which the province cut from 8% in 2019. RST is administered by Manitoba Finance, has its own return and calendar, and has its own exemptions that do not line up with GST. Children’s clothing and footwear, for example, are treated differently under RST than under GST.
Because RST is a retail tax, it has no input credit mechanism the way GST does. Businesses buy many inventory items RST-exempt for resale by quoting their RST number, then charge RST when they sell. SeroBooks keeps GST input tax credits and RST collected in separate accounts, and SeroPOS gives each item the tax code it needs, so the till and the return agree.
The Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy
Manitoba is one of a handful of provinces with an employer payroll tax. The Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy (often called the HAPSE levy or payroll tax) applies to employers whose total Manitoba remuneration exceeds an annual exemption threshold, with a reduced rate in a band above it and a full rate beyond. Most small businesses are under the threshold, but growing ones cross it.
SeroPayroll lists the HAPSE levy among the employer levies it handles. It keeps running Manitoba remuneration by employee and pay run so you can see your annual total against the current threshold and work out the levy for your return. The thresholds and rates are stored as data, so a budget change is a rate update rather than a software rewrite.
Manitoba employment standards in payroll
The Employment Standards Code sets overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 8 in a day or 40 in a week. Vacation is two weeks (4%) to start and three weeks (6%) after five years. SeroPayroll applies both automatically and shows accrued vacation pay in dollars on each stub.
Manitoba’s general holidays include New Year’s Day, Louis Riel Day on the third Monday of February, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Remembrance Day falls under its own act with specific rules for opening hours. General holiday pay is 5% of gross wages, excluding overtime, earned in the four weeks before the holiday, and anyone who works the day gets 1.5 times their rate on top.
- Overtime: over 8 hours a day or 40 a week at 1.5 times
- Vacation: 4% to start, 6% after five years
- General holiday pay: 5% of the prior four weeks’ wages
- Employer levies: WCB Manitoba and, above the threshold, HAPSE
Winnipeg, Brandon and the rest of Manitoba
Sero serves Manitoba remotely from British Columbia. Support is by phone at +1 (604) 800-0897, email and in-app chat, and there is no Manitoba office. That suits a restaurant in Winnipeg’s Exchange District, a café on Corydon, a grocer in Steinbach, an equipment dealer in Brandon or a convenience store in Thompson.
SeroPOS handles the counter on iPad, Android or Windows with inventory, loyalty and kitchen display. SeroBooks keeps the ledger, purchase orders and the Sales Tax Centre for GST and RST. SeroPayroll runs Manitoba pay, CPP and EI, remittances, T4s and ROEs, starting at $25 a month for up to 10 employees.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Manitoba?
Manitoba charges 5% GST plus a 7% provincial retail sales tax (RST), so most taxable sales carry 12%. RST was reduced from 8% to 7% in 2019. The two taxes are filed separately, GST with the CRA and RST with Manitoba Finance, and SeroBooks tracks each one in its own account.
What is the Manitoba HAPSE levy?
The Health and Post Secondary Education Tax Levy is an employer payroll tax on Manitoba remuneration above an annual exemption threshold, with a reduced rate in a band above the threshold. SeroPayroll tracks Manitoba remuneration so you can see your total against the threshold and calculate the levy for your return.
Is Louis Riel Day a paid holiday in Manitoba?
Yes. Louis Riel Day, on the third Monday of February, is a general holiday in Manitoba. Eligible employees receive general holiday pay of 5% of their wages from the previous four weeks, excluding overtime, and those who work the day earn 1.5 times their rate for hours worked.
Can I use SeroPOS for a restaurant in Winnipeg?
Yes. SeroPOS supports table plans, nested modifiers, split bills, kitchen order tickets and kitchen display, and runs on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac. Plans start at $29.99 USD a month with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required and no contract.
Does Sero handle WCB Manitoba?
SeroPayroll tracks WCB as an employer levy, keeping assessable earnings per pay run so the figure is ready for your annual WCB Manitoba payroll report. You still file and pay with WCB Manitoba directly; SeroPayroll is not affiliated with WCB or the CRA.