Terms of Service

1. About These Terms

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the website at fiscallyresponsible.ca (the "Site") and all bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll, HR admin support, and business operations services (collectively, the "Services") provided by Fiscally Responsible Solutions ("FRS," "we," "us," or "our"), a sole proprietorship based in North Vancouver, British Columbia.

By using the Site, submitting information through any of our forms, or engaging FRS to provide Services, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the Site or our Services.

These Terms should be read alongside our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

2. Scope of Services

FRS provides bookkeeping, financial reporting, payroll processing, HR admin support, and general business operations services to small businesses and solopreneurs across Canada. The specific services to be provided to any client will be set out in a written service agreement or statement of work prior to the start of the engagement.

We also operate the Founders First Program, which provides six months of complimentary introductory bookkeeping and admin support services to qualifying early-stage businesses. Eligibility, selection, and the scope of services provided under the Founders First Program are at the sole discretion of FRS. Full program terms are set out in Section 12.

2.1 What We Do Not Provide

FRS is not a licensed Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) firm. We do not provide audit, assurance, review engagement, compilation engagement, or tax preparation and filing services. We do not provide financial planning, investment advice, or legal advice of any kind. Where these services are needed, we will refer you to qualified professionals.

Nothing on the Site or in any communication from FRS should be interpreted as financial, tax, or legal advice.

3. Client Responsibilities

The quality and accuracy of our work depends on the information you provide. As a client of FRS, you agree to the following:

• You will provide complete, accurate, and timely access to the financial records, bank statements, receipts, invoices, payroll data, and any other documentation required for us to perform the agreed-upon Services.
• You will respond to reasonable requests for information or clarification within a timely manner. Delays in providing requested materials may affect the timeliness and accuracy of deliverables.
• You are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of all source documents and information provided to us. FRS prepares financial records based on the information you supply, and we are not responsible for errors or omissions that result from incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading information.
• You will notify us promptly of any material changes to your business operations, corporate structure, or financial circumstances that may affect the Services we provide.

3.1 Software and System Access

Certain Services may require you to grant FRS access to your accounting software (such as QuickBooks Online), bank feeds, payroll platforms, or other business systems. You are responsible for providing and maintaining appropriate access credentials. FRS will use such access solely for the purpose of performing the agreed-upon Services and will not modify account permissions, billing settings, or subscription plans without your prior approval.

Upon termination of the engagement, you are responsible for revoking any access previously granted to FRS. We will cooperate in ensuring a clean handover, but the obligation to remove our access from your systems rests with you.

4. Fees and Payment

Service fees will be set out in your service agreement and are billed on a monthly basis unless otherwise agreed in writing. All invoices are due upon receipt.

We accept payment by electronic funds transfer (e-transfer), credit card, debit, cheque, and other standard payment methods. Recurring billing by credit card is available for clients who prefer automated payments.

FRS does not charge interest or late fees on overdue invoices. However, if an invoice remains unpaid for more than thirty (30) days past the invoice date, we reserve the right to suspend the provision of Services until the outstanding balance is resolved. If payment is not received within sixty (60) days, we reserve the right to terminate the engagement in accordance with Section 6.

Fees for the Founders First Program are waived for the six-month complimentary period. If a Founders First participant transitions to a paid engagement, standard billing terms will apply from the agreed start date of paid services.

5. Final-Month Refund

This is an exit-only refund, not a complaint mechanism mid-engagement. If you choose to end your engagement with FRS and you are not satisfied with the most recent month of work, tell us in writing at the time you give notice and we will refund that month's fee.

This policy is intended to be client-friendly and will be interpreted reasonably in favor of clients who are leaving because they are dissatisfied with our work. We want clients to tell us clearly what went wrong so we can address it and improve our Services.

The refund covers FRS service fees only, for the most recent monthly invoice, and only when raised as part of ending the engagement. Prior months that have already been delivered, third-party costs (software subscriptions, government filing fees, payment processor fees), and any work performed under the Founders First Program at no cost are not refundable.

Refunds are processed within fourteen (14) business days of confirmed termination.

6. Termination

6.1 Termination by the Client

You may end your engagement with FRS at any time. You are not required to provide a specific notice period. Simply let us know in writing (email is fine) and confirm the date on which you would like Services to stop. You may choose any future date, including the end of the current billing month or any subsequent month.

6.2 Termination by FRS

FRS may terminate an engagement by providing you with at least thirty (30) days' written notice. We may do so for any reason, including a determination that the engagement is not a good fit for either party. No further justification is required.

FRS may also terminate an engagement immediately, without a notice period, in the following circumstances:

• Non-payment of fees for sixty (60) or more days past the invoice date, as described in Section 4.
• If we reasonably believe that continuing the engagement would require us to act in a manner that is unlawful, unethical, or inconsistent with applicable professional standards.
• If you have provided materially false or misleading information that affects the integrity of the work we perform, including misrepresenting the size, complexity, or nature of your business operations.

6.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination, we will complete any work in progress to a reasonable stopping point and deliver all completed work product to you. Any fees owing for Services performed up to the termination date remain payable, subject to the Final-Month Refund in Section 5 where applicable.

Following termination, we will retain client records in accordance with our data retention obligations as described in our Privacy Policy and in compliance with Canada Revenue Agency record-keeping requirements.

If you engage a new bookkeeper or accountant following termination, FRS will make reasonable efforts to cooperate with the transition, including providing access to completed records and responding to clarification requests, for a period of up to thirty (30) days after the termination date.

7. Work Product and Ownership

All financial reports, reconciliations, statements, and other deliverables prepared by FRS specifically for your business ("Client Deliverables") are your property. Upon request or upon termination, we will provide you with copies of all Client Deliverables in a standard, accessible format.

FRS retains ownership of all proprietary methodologies, templates, processes, workflows, and internal tools developed or used in the course of providing Services. Nothing in these Terms grants you any right, license, or interest in our proprietary tools or processes.

For clarity: your financial data is yours. Our systems and methods for organizing it are ours.

8. Confidentiality

We treat all client financial data, business records, and related information as strictly confidential. We will not disclose your confidential information to any third party except where necessary to perform the Services (for example, processing transactions through accounting software), where required by law, or where you have provided your written consent.

This obligation of confidentiality survives the termination of the engagement and continues indefinitely.

Where a client's industry, regulatory context, or operational circumstances require a more formal confidentiality arrangement, FRS is willing to enter into a supplementary non-disclosure agreement prior to or at the commencement of the engagement. Any such agreement will be documented in writing and will form part of the engagement terms between the parties.

9. Limitation of Liability

FRS will perform all Services with reasonable care and in accordance with generally accepted bookkeeping practices. However, bookkeeping involves the processing and organization of financial data provided to us by clients, and we cannot guarantee that every deliverable will be free of errors, particularly where the underlying source data is incomplete or inaccurate.

9.1 Liability Cap

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the total aggregate liability of FRS arising out of or relating to the Services, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), or otherwise, shall not exceed the total fees paid by you to FRS during the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

9.2 Exclusion of Indirect Damages

FRS shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of revenue, loss of profits, loss of business opportunities, penalties imposed by tax authorities, or damages arising from reliance on deliverables prepared by FRS, regardless of whether FRS was advised of the possibility of such damages.

9.3 Your Responsibility

You acknowledge that you remain ultimately responsible for the financial and tax affairs of your business. FRS provides bookkeeping and operational support, but the responsibility for reviewing deliverables, making business decisions, and filing tax returns (whether directly or through a licensed professional) remains with you.

10. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless FRS from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to: (a) inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading information provided by you; (b) your failure to comply with applicable laws or regulations; or (c) any third-party claim resulting from your use of the deliverables prepared by FRS.

11. Use of the Website

The content on the Site, including text, graphics, design elements, and layout, is the property of FRS and is protected by Canadian copyright law. You may view and use the Site for personal, non-commercial purposes related to evaluating or engaging our Services. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on the Site without our prior written consent.

The Site is provided on an "as is" basis. While we make reasonable efforts to keep the information on the Site accurate and up to date, we do not warrant that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

12. Founders First Program

The Founders First Program is a discretionary program offered by FRS to support early-stage businesses. Accepted participants receive six (6) months of complimentary introductory bookkeeping and admin support services. The following terms apply specifically to the program:

• Eligibility is determined solely by FRS based on the information provided in the application and any follow-up discussions.
• FRS reserves the right to end a Founders First engagement early if, after acceptance, it becomes apparent that the business is materially more complex than represented in the application, or if the participant provided inaccurate or misleading information during the application process. In such cases, FRS will provide at least fourteen (14) days' written notice.
• FRS reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Founders First Program at any time. Current participants will receive at least thirty (30) days' notice before any change that affects their active engagement.
• At the end of the six-month complimentary period, participants may continue with FRS at alumni rates upon mutual agreement, or transition to self-manage.
• Participants in the Founders First Program are subject to all other terms in this agreement, including client responsibilities (Section 3) and confidentiality (Section 8).

13. Dispute Resolution

If a dispute arises out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services provided by FRS, both parties agree to first attempt to resolve the matter informally through good-faith discussion. If the dispute cannot be resolved within thirty (30) days of written notice, either party may pursue resolution through the courts of British Columbia.

14. Force Majeure

FRS shall not be liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations under these Terms where such delay or failure results from circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, power outages, internet service disruptions, government actions, pandemics, or failures of third-party service providers.

15. Amendments

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Revised" date at the top of this page. For active clients, material changes to these Terms will be communicated directly. Continued use of the Site or our Services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

16. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect. The invalid or unenforceable provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable while preserving its original intent.

17. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any written service agreement entered into between you and FRS, constitute the entire agreement between the parties with respect to the subject matter herein. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a signed service agreement, the service agreement will prevail.

18. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Province of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Any legal proceedings arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the courts of British Columbia, and both parties submit to the jurisdiction of those courts.

19. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us: