POS, payroll and accounting software for Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan businesses charge two taxes and pay holiday pay on a percentage formula of their own. SeroPOS, SeroBooks and SeroPayroll keep the 6% PST apart from GST and pay Saskatchewan staff the way The Saskatchewan Employment Act describes.
Saskatchewan, handled by Sero
GST and PST separate
The 5% GST and 6% Saskatchewan PST post to separate liability accounts for their separate returns.
PST on restaurant meals
Prepared food and drinks carry PST in Saskatchewan, and each SeroPOS menu item carries the tax code that matches.
Liquor consumption tax
Set up the separate liquor consumption tax on licensed sales as its own tax code alongside GST.
5% public holiday pay
SeroPayroll pays SK public holidays at 5% of wages earned in the four weeks before, the province’s own formula.
Overtime after 8 or 40
Daily and weekly overtime thresholds apply together, with time-and-a-half for hours beyond either.
Farm and rural ready
Offline mode in SeroPOS keeps selling when rural internet drops, and syncs when the connection returns.
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 plus 6% PST, including at the restaurant
Saskatchewan charges the 5% federal GST and a 6% provincial sales tax administered by the Ministry of Finance. Unlike BC and Manitoba, Saskatchewan applies PST to restaurant meals and beverages, which it has done since 2017, so a typical café or pizzeria bill in Saskatoon carries both taxes on almost every line.
Licensed establishments add another layer. Beverage alcohol sold in bars and restaurants is subject to a liquor consumption tax rather than the regular PST, so a dinner bill can carry GST and PST on the food and GST plus the liquor tax on the wine. SeroPOS lets each item carry its own tax code, and SeroBooks keeps every tax in its own account for filing.
- GST 5% on most sales, filed with the CRA
- PST 6% on most goods, restaurant meals and many services
- Liquor consumption tax on alcohol sold at licensed premises
- Some services, such as certain contractor and repair work, have specific PST rules
Saskatchewan payroll rules SeroPayroll applies
The Saskatchewan Employment Act sets overtime at time-and-a-half for hours over 8 in a day (or 10 where a modified schedule is in place) and over 40 in a week. SeroPayroll reads daily timesheets and applies both thresholds in the same pay run without paying the same hour twice. Banked time is recorded where your arrangement allows it.
Vacation is three weeks from the start in Saskatchewan, paid at 3/52 of wages, rising to four weeks (4/52) after ten years. That is more generous than most provinces and catches out employers using a flat 4% figure. SeroPayroll accrues the correct fraction for each employee based on their service date.
Workers’ compensation is through the Saskatchewan WCB, with premiums based on assessable payroll and industry rate code. SeroPayroll tracks the assessable earnings per pay run so your annual WCB payroll statement is ready from the records. Rates differ widely between industries, so check that each employee is assigned to the right rate code before the first pay run of the year, especially if staff split time between a store and a warehouse.
Public holidays: ten days and a percentage formula
Saskatchewan has ten public holidays: New Year’s Day, Family Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Saskatchewan Day in August, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and Christmas Day. There is no minimum service requirement to qualify, which is different from Alberta and BC. Every employee is covered from their first day on the job.
Public holiday pay is 5% of wages earned in the four weeks before the holiday, excluding overtime. Employees who work the holiday are paid 1.5 times their rate for hours worked on top of that. Because the formula is percentage based, part-time and variable-hours staff get holiday pay too, and SeroPayroll calculates it from actual earnings history.
Saskatoon, Regina and rural Saskatchewan
Sero serves Saskatchewan from British Columbia, remotely, with phone, email and in-app chat support. That works for a restaurant on Broadway in Saskatoon, a convenience store in Moose Jaw, a hardware dealer in Swift Current or a grocery in Prince Albert. There is no Saskatchewan office. Onboarding is guided inside the apps, with demo data to practise on.
Rural connectivity is a practical concern. SeroPOS keeps ringing sales in offline mode and syncs once the network is back, so a dropped connection on a busy Saturday does not stop the till. SeroBooks then posts sales, inventory movements and tax to one ledger, and SeroBooks Pro adds multi-location reporting if you run stores in Regina, Yorkton and North Battleford.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Saskatchewan?
Most sales in Saskatchewan carry 5% GST plus 6% PST, for 11% in total. The two taxes are filed separately, GST with the CRA and PST with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Finance. SeroPOS and SeroBooks record them as separate components so each return draws from its own account.
Do restaurants charge PST in Saskatchewan?
Yes. Saskatchewan applies 6% PST to restaurant meals and beverages, in addition to 5% GST. Alcohol sold at licensed premises is subject to the liquor consumption tax instead of PST. In SeroPOS each menu item has its own tax code so mixed bills calculate correctly.
How is public holiday pay calculated in Saskatchewan?
Public holiday pay is 5% of the wages an employee earned in the four weeks before the holiday, not counting overtime. There is no minimum service requirement. If they work on the holiday, they also get 1.5 times their rate for the hours worked. SeroPayroll applies this formula automatically.
How much vacation do Saskatchewan employees get?
Saskatchewan employees get three weeks of vacation from the start of employment, paid at 3/52 of wages, and four weeks (4/52) after ten years with the same employer. SeroPayroll accrues vacation pay in dollars at the right fraction for each employee’s service.
Does SeroPOS work without internet in rural Saskatchewan?
Yes. SeroPOS has an offline mode that keeps taking sales when the connection drops and syncs the transactions once you are back online. Card payments depend on your terminal and processor, so check how your terminal behaves offline before relying on it.