Can Vela do my bank reconciliation?

No. Reconciliation is bookkeeping and Vela does not do it. Vela starts from records that already exist, whether that is your software exports or your bookkeeper's output, and turns them into a monthly summary you would actually read.

Does Vela file GST/HST or run payroll?

No, deliberately. Filings and payroll need someone with hands in your books on a weekly cadence. If you need those, hire a bookkeeper; our reporting can sit on top of their work afterwards.

Can I use Vela and a bookkeeper at the same time?

Yes, and that is the setup this work was designed for. Your bookkeeper keeps the books of record, their output becomes our input, and you get a plain-English monthly read on what changed. The two do not overlap.

Is Vela cheaper than hiring a bookkeeper?

Sometimes, but that is the wrong comparison. Vela quotes one agreed monthly amount against a typical $200 to $800 a month for a bookkeeper, but they are not doing the same job, so price alone will not tell you which one you need.

Vela vs. hiring a bookkeeper

By Andrew Caruso, Founder, Vela Works Canada. Last updated September 18, 2026.

Hire a bookkeeper if you need bank reconciliation, payroll runs, and GST/HST filings. That is their job, and Vela does none of it. Vela's month-end reporting, quoted as one agreed monthly amount, turns finished books into a plain-English profit-and-loss summary with notes on what changed. They solve different problems, and plenty of businesses want both.

We sell one of these, so you should trust this page exactly as far as the reasoning holds up. Short version: it's a different job, and sometimes the bookkeeper is the right answer.

For scale on what the bookkeeper column costs: employed bookkeepers in Canada earn between $19.55 and $45.07 an hour, median $28.02, per Government of Canada, Job Bank. A freelancer bills above an employee wage because the rate carries their own overhead and unbilled time, which is roughly how a part-time engagement lands in the $200 to $800 a month band below.

Side by side

Hiring a bookkeeper compared with Vela's month-end reporting, task by task, including what Vela deliberately does not do.
What you need	A bookkeeper	Vela
Records transactions in your books of record	✓ Their core job	✗ Not what we do
Reconciles bank accounts	✓ Yes	✗ No
Runs payroll and GST/HST filings	✓ Usually	✗ No, deliberately
Monthly P&L summary in plain English	Sometimes, if asked	✓ The core deliverable
Explains what changed and why	Rarely, not the job	✓ Every month
Flags what it doesn't understand	Varies by person	✓ Built into the process
Typical monthly cost	$200–$800+	One quoted monthly figure, flat

Hire the bookkeeper when…

You run payroll: that needs hands in the books, weekly
You process hundreds of transactions a month across accounts
Your books of record are behind and need genuine reconstruction
You're regulated in a way that demands full-service bookkeeping

Vela wins when…

Your volume is modest but month-end still eats your evenings
You have records (bank exports, software) but no monthly insight from them
You want plain-English answers: what changed, why, what to watch
You want one agreed monthly amount instead of hourly billing that varies

The quiet third option: both

This is the setup our reporting was designed to slot into: a bookkeeper keeps the books of record, and Vela adds the monthly translation layer. Their output becomes our input, and you finally read your own numbers. Your bookkeeper is unlikely to be offended; writing plain-English summaries is rarely anyone's favourite part of the job.

Run your own numbers with the busywork calculator, or see exactly what a month-end report looks like.

Common questions about Vela and bookkeepers

Can Vela do my bank reconciliation?: No. Reconciliation is bookkeeping and Vela does not do it. Vela starts from records that already exist, whether that is your software exports or your bookkeeper's output, and turns them into a monthly summary you would actually read.
Does Vela file GST/HST or run payroll?: No, deliberately. Filings and payroll need someone with hands in your books on a weekly cadence. If you need those, hire a bookkeeper; our reporting can sit on top of their work afterwards.
Can I use Vela and a bookkeeper at the same time?: Yes, and that is the setup this work was designed for. Your bookkeeper keeps the books of record, their output becomes our input, and you get a plain-English monthly read on what changed. The two do not overlap.
Is Vela cheaper than hiring a bookkeeper?: Sometimes, but that is the wrong comparison. Vela quotes one agreed monthly amount against a typical $200 to $800 a month for a bookkeeper, but they are not doing the same job, so price alone will not tell you which one you need.

About the author

Andrew Caruso founded Vela Works Canada and reviews every deliverable before it reaches a client. He completed a Harvard-led AI program, which is the mechanism behind how Vela works: AI-assisted drafting, with a person signing off on everything that ships. He also competes in DECA. Vela is early and founder-led, which is why the plans open with founding-client pricing and why every quote is a real conversation rather than an automated funnel.

Sources

Bookkeeper (NOC 12200) wages, Canada. Government of Canada, Job Bank. Figures checked August 2026.

Wage figures are cited above. Engagement ranges are market orientation rather than survey data and vary by region and complexity. General information, not accounting advice.