British Columbia's February 2026 budget proposed a significant change: for the first time, PST would apply to a range of professional services, including accounting and bookkeeping, legal, engineering, architectural, and non-residential real estate services, at a rate of 7%, effective October 1, 2026. In late September 2026, the province paused that expansion, citing trade-related economic uncertainty. It's a pause, not a cancellation — the underlying legislation hasn't been withdrawn.
What this means right now
For now, accounting, bookkeeping, and the other professional services named in the original proposal are not subject to the new PST as of October 1. Businesses that had started preparing to register for PST, adjust their invoicing, or budget for the added cost on professional fees can stand down on those specific steps for the moment — while keeping an eye on whether the pause becomes permanent or the expansion is later revived.
What's still going ahead
The pause applies specifically to the professional services expansion. Separately, BC is still eliminating a handful of existing PST exemptions on October 1, 2026, covering items like clothing patterns, yarn and certain textile materials, clothing and footwear repair services, and basic cable and residential landline telephone service. Those changes were not part of the pause and remain scheduled to take effect.
Why it's worth watching
A "pause" is a policy choice, not a repeal, and it can be revisited in a future budget or reversed with little notice. If your business budgeted for the added 7% cost on professional fees, or you'd adjusted pricing to account for it, it's worth revisiting those numbers now — and building in a plan for what happens if the expansion is reinstated later. If you'd like a second set of eyes on how this affects your business, reach out and we'll walk through it together.