Keeping data in Canada
Where a Canadian company's records and backups are kept, and what has not been built yet.
Updated Nov 2, 2026
Canada expects company records to be kept in Canada unless the CRA gives permission. Quebec also has its own privacy law (Law 25), which can require an impact assessment before personal data leaves Quebec.
What the product does today
- Company country. Each company records its country. The cloud service has not been offered, so no company is held on a server.
- Desktop apps. The Windows and Mac apps keep the company file on the computer you use. The file does not leave that computer unless you copy it.
- Privacy screen. The Canada entry in the compliance status shows the records rule as "in build".
What has not been built yet
- Cloud hosting in Canada: not offered.
- Backing up to a target in Canada from the desktop apps.
Pop Books does not yet meet the Canadian rule on its own. Until it does, keep your records in Canada yourself.
Keeping your data in Canada now
- Store the company file and its snapshots on a drive or server in Canada that you control.
- Make your backups to a location in Canada, not to a cloud service based elsewhere.
- Do not send company data to a service outside Canada without asking your accountant.
- If the data includes personal information from Quebec, ask a privacy lawyer about Law 25 before you move it.
Records and privacy
Records must be kept for six years in Canada (see record-retention). The privacy controls for export, erase and incidents are in privacy-export-erase.
This article gives general information only. Ask your accountant or a lawyer about your duties.