Hiring a Nanny in Canada: What Records Should Families Keep?

At first, the arrangement may feel simple:

• Your nanny works a set number of hours
• You agree on an hourly rate
• You send payment each week
• Everyone moves on to the next busy week

But after several months, those small weekly details can become difficult to reconstruct.

Which days did your nanny work? Did the schedule change during a holiday week? When did the hourly rate increase? Which payments were sent? Were any records still waiting for confirmation?

These questions become more important when you need to review the year, resolve a misunderstanding, or provide information to an accountant or payroll provider.

Keeping organized records from the beginning can save families from searching through text messages, calendars, spreadsheets, and bank transactions later.

Is a family considered an employer when hiring a nanny?

Possibly.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency, a family that hires a caregiver, babysitter, or domestic worker may be considered the worker’s employer, depending on the actual working relationship.

Whether someone is an employee or self-employed does not depend only on what the family or worker calls the arrangement.

The relationship may be evaluated using factors such as:

• Who controls the work and schedule
• Who provides the tools or equipment
• Whether the worker can hire a replacement
• Whether the worker has a chance to earn a profit
• Whether the worker carries financial risk
• How independent the worker is in performing the work

When a caregiver is considered an employee, the family may have employer responsibilities related to payroll deductions, remittances, employment records, and year-end documents.

When the caregiver is genuinely self-employed, the responsibilities may be different.

If the worker or family is unsure about the employment status, either party can ask the CRA for a CPP/EI ruling.

NannySync does not determine employment status. It also does not calculate deductions, run payroll, remit amounts, issue tax forms, or provide tax advice.

What NannySync can help with is the step before that: keeping everyday nanny records organized and easier to review.

Why nanny records become difficult to reconstruct

Most families do not lose records all at once.

The information becomes scattered gradually.

Hours may be stored in:

• Text messages
• A shared family calendar
• A notebook
• A spreadsheet
• An email thread
• A nanny’s personal timesheet

Payment information may be stored somewhere else:

• Bank transfers
• Cheques
• Cash notes
• Payroll software
• Messages saying “sent”
• Messages saying “received”

One week is easy to remember. Six or twelve months are not.

Even responsible families can eventually find themselves asking:

• Was that payment for one week or two?
• Did the nanny work on the holiday?
• When did the new hourly rate begin?
• Were those extra hours included?
• Was the payment sent but never confirmed?
• Which records belong to which month?

A simple, consistent recordkeeping routine helps prevent these gaps.

What records should families organize?

The exact documents required will depend on the employment relationship and the advice of your accountant, payroll provider, or government authority.

However, the following everyday records can provide a useful foundation.

1. Daily hours worked

Record the hours as the work happens rather than trying to recreate them at the end of the month.

A daily record may include:

• Date worked
• Start time and end time
• Total hours
• Breaks, when relevant
• Additional or overtime hours
• A short note explaining unusual changes

For example:

The record does not need to become a detailed diary. It should simply be clear enough that the parent and nanny can understand what happened.

Why daily records matter

Daily records make weekly totals easier to verify.

They can also help when:

• A schedule changes
• A family travels
• The nanny takes time off
• A statutory holiday occurs
• Extra hours are added
• A payment amount looks different from a normal week

Recording hours consistently is easier than relying on memory later.

2. The agreed hourly rate

Keep a clear record of the rate you and your nanny agreed to.

That record may include:

• Regular hourly rate
• Date the rate became effective
• Any agreed rate changes
• Different rates for specific types of work, when applicable
• Any written agreement explaining the arrangement

For example:

If the rate changes later, do not replace the old information without keeping the effective date.

A simple rate history makes it easier to understand why two weeks with the same number of hours may have different recorded amounts.

Why rate history matters

Without an effective date, families may struggle to determine which rate applied to an older work period.

This is particularly common when:

• A raise begins in the middle of the year
• Duties change
• A temporary schedule is introduced
• Different rates are used for special circumstances

NannySync lets families record the hourly rate used for their weekly records. It is not a payroll calculator and does not determine whether a specific rate complies with employment standards.

3. Weekly hours and recorded amount

Daily entries are useful, but families also benefit from a clear weekly summary.

A weekly record can include:

• Start and end date of the work period
• Daily hours
• Total weekly hours
• Hourly rate used
• Recorded weekly amount
• Notes about adjustments

For example:

This creates a clear connection between the work completed and the amount the family recorded for that period.

4. Payment date and status

Families should be able to tell whether a weekly amount is:

• Still due
• Marked as sent
• Waiting for confirmation
• Confirmed as received

It can be useful to record:

• The date payment was sent
• The work period it covered
• The amount associated with the record
• The payment method, in a separate private record when needed
• Whether the nanny confirmed receipt

NannySync does not transfer money.

Parents continue paying their nanny outside the app using their usual method. After payment is made, the parent can mark the corresponding weekly record as sent.

This separation is intentional:

• The bank, cheque, cash transaction, or payroll provider handles the payment
• NannySync keeps the related record organized

Why payment dates matter

When several payments have similar amounts, it can become difficult to match a bank transaction to the correct work period.

A payment date connected to a weekly record creates a clearer timeline.

5. Nanny confirmation

A simple confirmation can help both sides stay aligned.

After the parent pays outside NannySync and marks the weekly record as sent, the nanny can review the record and confirm that payment was received.

The record then moves through three clear stages:

What the confirmation does not mean

A NannySync confirmation:

• Does not process the payment
• Does not calculate payroll
• Does not verify tax compliance
• Does not replace a pay stub
• Does not replace records required by the CRA
• Does not prove that every employment obligation has been completed

It records that the nanny confirmed receiving the payment connected to the weekly record.

That small step can reduce uncertainty and provide a clearer history for both the family and nanny.

6. Notes about changes and exceptions

Not every week follows the normal schedule.

Keep short notes for situations such as:

• A holiday schedule
• A sick day
• Vacation
• Extra hours
• A cancelled shift
• A temporary rate change
• A reimbursement
• A correction to a previous record
• A bonus or other additional amount handled outside the normal weekly record

The note should explain the change without storing unnecessary personal or sensitive information.

For example:

A brief explanation can prevent confusion months later.

7. Monthly record summaries

Weekly records are easier to review when they are also organized by month.

A monthly summary may help families see:

• Total recorded hours
• Total recorded amounts
• Weekly records included in the month
• Records still awaiting confirmation
• Confirmed receipts
• Missing or incomplete periods

Monthly summaries can make patterns easier to notice.

For example:

• One week was never confirmed
• A rate change began mid-month
• A work period was accidentally skipped
• The monthly total is unusually high or low

NannySync groups weekly documents and monthly history in one place so families do not need to search through separate messages and spreadsheets.

A monthly summary is not a receipt

A NannySync Monthly Summary Report provides an overview of records for the month.

It is not a weekly confirmed receipt, pay stub, payroll return, tax form, or proof of compliance.

8. Supporting payment records

NannySync records should be kept alongside the records produced by the actual payment method or payroll process.

Depending on how the nanny is paid, supporting records may include:

• Bank or e-transfer confirmations
• Cancelled cheques
• Payroll-provider documents
• Pay statements
• Receipts
• Employment agreements
• Rate-change agreements
• Relevant correspondence

Do not treat one app or one document as the only record your family may need.

An accountant or payroll provider may ask for information that is not stored in NannySync.

9. Payroll and tax records, when applicable

When a nanny is an employee, families may have responsibilities beyond tracking hours and payments.

Depending on the situation, these may involve:

• Registering for a payroll account
• Collecting required employee information
• Calculating payroll deductions
• Withholding income tax
• Withholding CPP contributions
• Withholding EI premiums
• Making employer contributions
• Remitting amounts
• Preparing pay statements
• Filing year-end information returns
• Issuing required employment documents
• Keeping supporting payroll records

NannySync does not perform these tasks.

Families should use CRA guidance and consult a qualified accountant, bookkeeper, payroll provider, or employment professional where appropriate.

NannySync can help keep the underlying weekly record history clearer before those conversations take place.

Why keeping everything together matters

Most parents are able to record the information they need. The harder part is keeping each piece connected as the arrangement continues.

Over time:

• Hours may be recorded in a notebook or spreadsheet
• Payment dates may be stored in banking history
• Schedule changes may be explained in text messages
• Confirmations may live in a separate conversation

Each record may be useful on its own. The difficulty comes when a family needs to match those separate details to the same workweek.

Keeping them connected from the beginning also makes it easier to review nanny records before tax time without searching through several systems.

How NannySync keeps every week connected

NannySync connects the information related to one work period within an organized weekly record:

• Daily hours
• Weekly payment record
• Payment status
• Nanny confirmation
• Payment summary
• Confirmed receipt

Instead of matching hours, payment details, and confirmation later, families can review the complete history of that week in one place.

Parents still pay their nanny outside NannySync. NannySync does not move money, run payroll, calculate deductions, file taxes, or provide professional advice.

See how NannySync keeps weekly nanny records connected from daily hours through confirmation and monthly history.

A simple weekly nanny recordkeeping routine

Recordkeeping is easier when it becomes part of the weekly routine.

Here is one practical workflow.

During the week

Record each day’s hours as soon as possible.

Do not wait until the end of the month.

At the end of the work period

Review:

• Dates worked
• Daily hours
• Weekly total
• Hourly rate
• Recorded amount
• Any changes or notes

After paying outside NannySync

Mark the weekly payment record as sent.

This does not send money. It updates the record after the parent has already paid using another method.

Ask the nanny to confirm

The nanny reviews the record and confirms that the associated payment was received.

At the end of the month

Check:

• Are all expected weeks present?
• Are any records still awaiting confirmation?
• Were any corrections needed?
• Are supporting payment records stored safely?
• Does the monthly summary look complete?

This weekly process can take only a few minutes when the information is kept current.

Reconstructing the same information months later may take much longer.

What should you prepare for an accountant or payroll provider?

The professional helping you may request different information based on your situation.

A useful starting package may include:

• Parent or employer information
• Nanny’s identifying and employment information
• Employment agreement
• Employment start date
• Work location
• Daily and weekly hours
• Rate history
• Weekly recorded amounts
• Payment dates
• Supporting bank or payment records
• Confirmation history
• Payroll statements, if applicable
• Previous deductions and remittances, if applicable
• Notes explaining corrections or unusual periods

Ask the professional exactly what they need.

Do not assume that a NannySync summary contains every item required for payroll or tax purposes.

How long should families keep nanny records?

CRA record-retention rules depend on the type of record and the reason it is being kept.

In many tax contexts, the CRA generally instructs taxpayers and businesses to keep required records and supporting documents for at least six years from the end of the tax year they relate to.

Other employment or provincial requirements may use different periods.

Because individual situations vary, confirm the appropriate retention period with the CRA, your provincial or territorial employment standards authority, or a qualified professional.

NannySync should not be used as the only storage location for documents you are legally required to retain. Keep appropriate backups and copies of supporting records.

Common recordkeeping mistakes

Waiting until year-end

Trying to recreate twelve months of hours and payments at once is much harder than maintaining a weekly routine.

Keeping hours and payments in unrelated places

A calendar may show the hours while a bank statement shows the payment, but neither explains how the two connect.

Replacing old rates without keeping effective dates

A current rate does not explain what applied six months earlier.

Treating a bank transaction as the full work record

A payment can show that money moved, but it may not explain the dates, hours, rate, or adjustments behind the amount.

Treating a weekly summary as a tax or payroll document

A record summary can support organization, but it may not contain all required payroll details.

Using internal terms that both sides interpret differently

Clear labels such as Payment due, Awaiting confirmation, and Confirmed make the record easier to understand.

Forgetting to resolve unconfirmed weeks

A record that remains open for months may be harder to verify later.