20 Aug BC PST on Accounting Services: Changes Effective Oct 1, 2026
Important Update: BC Expanding PST to Accounting Services
Effective October 1, 2026, the BC government is expanding Provincial Sales Tax (PST) to include accounting services; bookkeeping, tax preparation, financial statements, payroll, advisory, and related work. We want to make sure you understand what’s changing and how Clearline is helping manage the transition.
What’s Changing
Starting October 1, 2026, accounting services provided in BC will be subject to 7% PST, in addition to any applicable federal taxes. This applies broadly across the profession and is a change from the provincial government.
What This Means for Your Invoices
There’s a transition window built into the rules, and it works like this:
- If your engagement is invoiced before October 1, 2026, and the work is fully completed before December 1, 2026, no PST applies to that invoice.
- If any part of the work extends past December 1, 2026, PST applies to the portion of the fee attributable to work done on or after October 1, 2026, even if you were billed earlier.
- Any invoice issued on or after October 1, 2026 will include PST, regardless of when the work was performed.
Our Transition Timeline
| Date | What Happens |
| By September 30, 2026 | Clearline will invoice eligible, in-progress engagements to lock in current (no-PST) treatment where possible. |
| October 1, 2026 | New PST rules take effect. Invoices issued on or after this date will generally include 7% PST. |
| By December 1, 2026 | Work fully invoiced before October 1 that was completed by this date will be reviewed to confirm whether it is PST-exempt under the transition rules. |
What You Will See
Going forward, our proposals will include an additional line for PST so we can ensure we’re charging the appropriate amount based on the transition rules outlined above. For proposals issued after September 30, 2026, all applicable services will be charged applicable GST and PST.
Questions?
If you have questions about how this affects your specific engagement, please reach out to your Clearline contact and we’re happy to walk through the details with you.
This update is intended as general information for our clients and is not a substitute for professional tax advice specific to your situation.
