21 Sep BC PST Expansion to Professional Services: Paused for Now
BC PST Expansion to Professional Services: Paused for Now
The British Columbia Government announced on September 18, 2026 that they are pausing the expansion of Provincial Sales Tax (PST) to include several professional service categories that were previously exempt. This new PST was supposed to be implemented effective October 1, 2026 and was one of the most significant changes to the B.C. PST system in years.
The new rules were to apply to:
- Accounting services
- Architectural services
- Engineering and geoscience services
- Non-residential real estate services (including commercial brokerage, rental property management, and strata management)
- Security and private investigation services
Based on the government’s announcement, this is only a pausing of the implementation. They did not state that they were going to reverse the rules, so it is possible that the PST will be implemented on these services in the future.
Questions about how future PST changes could affect your business? Connect with the Clearline team for guidance tailored to your circumstances.
