B.C. has announced that the planned October 1, 2026 expansion of PST to professional services has been paused. 

The Province says the pause will maintain the existing PST exemption for professional services, including bookkeeping, accounting, architectural, engineering, non-residential real estate and security services.

What this means: The October 1 PST expansion discussed in this article is not proceeding as originally scheduled.

We'll update this article as B.C. provides further information about when the expansion may proceed.

If you're a bookkeeper in BC and you haven't heard about this yet, here's the short version: starting October 1, 2026, you probably need to start charging 7% PST on your invoices. Not just accounting firms. Not just people with "CPA" after their name. You. And the registration window has already been open since April.

Wait — Bookkeepers Are Included in This?

Yes, and this is the part catching people off guard. BC's own government notice on this is explicit: you have to register even if you're not a Chartered Professional Accountant. What actually gets taxed isn't the credential, it's the service. And "accounting services" in this new rule is defined broadly enough to include bookkeeping and recordkeeping work — not just formal accounting or assurance work done by a designated accountant.

So if you're a solo bookkeeper doing books for a handful of small business clients in BC, this rule is talking to you, whether or not you've ever thought of yourself as part of "the accounting industry."

What Actually Changes on October 1

You add 7% PST to your invoice for bookkeeping services, collect it from your client, and remit it to BC — the same basic mechanic as any other PST-registered business. This is on top of GST/HST if you're already charging that; PST and GST/HST are separate taxes and this doesn't replace anything you're already doing.

Do You Actually Have to Register?

If you're going to be selling taxable bookkeeping services on or after October 1, yes. Registration has actually been open since April 1, 2026, so if you haven't registered yet, you're not early — you're behind, though not dangerously so with a few weeks still on the clock. Registration happens through eTaxBC.

One timing detail that trips people up: PST applies based on when the service is actually performed, not when you send the invoice. If you're doing work in October, that work is taxable even if you don't bill for it until November. And if you finish a chunk of work entirely before October 1, that portion generally isn't subject to PST even if you invoice it later.

What This Means If You're Running a Side-Hustle or Small Client Roster

This doesn't care how big or small your practice is. One client or fifteen, full-time or side hustle around a day job — if you're charging for bookkeeping services in BC after October 1, this applies to you the same as it applies to a big accounting firm. There's no small-business carve-out based on your size specifically for this rule.

What it does mean practically: your invoices need to change, your pricing conversations with clients need to happen now rather than in a panic on September 30th, and your own bookkeeping needs to track PST collected separately from GST/HST collected, since they get remitted differently.

What About Clients Outside BC?

This is a BC provincial tax, so it's tied to where the service is being provided, not just where you personally live or work. If you're a BC-based bookkeeper with clients in other provinces, or working with clients located in BC while you're elsewhere, the specifics of where PST applies can get genuinely situational — worth confirming your own specific setup rather than assuming either way.

FAQ

Do I need to register even if I only have one or two small clients? If you're selling taxable bookkeeping services in BC on or after October 1, yes, registration generally applies regardless of how many clients you have or how small your practice is.

What if I'm not registered yet and October 1 arrives? Registering late doesn't erase the obligation to charge PST once you're providing taxable services — better to register now through eTaxBC than to wait and sort it out after the fact.

Does this apply to bookkeeping software subscriptions I resell or recommend to clients, or just my own labour? This rule is specifically about the service you're providing — your bookkeeping work — not third-party software products, which may have entirely separate tax treatment.

Can I just absorb the 7% instead of passing it on to clients? You can choose to price it however you want commercially, but the PST still needs to be properly charged, collected, and remitted on the books — quietly not charging it isn't the same as not owing it.

Follow the system. File with confidence.