B.C. pauses PST expansion to professional services
The Province is pausing the planned October 1, 2026 expansion of PST to professional services, citing ongoing trade uncertainty.
If you pay for accounting, engineering or other professional services in B.C., the sales tax on those services will not start on Oct. 1, 2026. The Province says it is pausing the planned expansion of the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) to professional services.
The pause is a response to what the Province describes as new and ongoing international trade disruptions and the economic uncertainty they are creating. Premier David Eby says the delay will give businesses breathing room as they deal with tariffs and bans and look to other markets. "This is a time to adjust," said Premier David Eby.
Finance Minister Josie Osborne said the pause will help more than businesses. "Pausing the PST expansion will protect jobs and help local governments that use professional services manage their costs of delivering infrastructure and community services," said Osborne.
The Province estimates savings for people, local governments and businesses at approximately $260 million in 2026-27.
What stays the same
The PST exemption will be maintained on several professional services, including:
- accounting and bookkeeping
- architectural, geoscientist and engineering services
- non-residential real estate commissions and services
- security and private investigation services
The pause will be put in place through a temporary regulation.
Other tax measures
The Province says British Columbia is one of the lowest taxed provinces in the country. It points to other changes, such as lowering the B.C. small business tax rate from 2.5% to 2% in 2017, and eliminating the consumer carbon tax, which it says saves small business owners money.
Source: BC Gov News
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