Use the final provincial guidance
Taxable accounting services, including bookkeeping, become subject to 7% PST from October 1, 2026, subject to applicable exemptions and other rules. Services supplied remotely or by a non-CPA are not automatically outside the rules.
The transitional guidance distinguishes consideration paid or due before October from later amounts and considers whether services extend to December. Review the actual engagement against the current official guidance instead of assuming every September invoice is exempt or every October payment is taxable.
If consideration is first paid or becomes due on or after October 1, PST applies even where the accounting work was done in September, unless an exemption applies. A later payment of an amount already due in September is not a new October trigger.
Illustrative example: an earlier due date matters
A Surrey business receives a bill with consideration due in September for services entirely completed before December 1, 2026. On those stated transition facts, the provincial guidance provides the pre-October treatment even if the business pays the amount in October. The due date and service period must be supported.
A different engagement extends into December. Its post-September service portion can require PST under the transition rules. The record therefore needs an allocation of service periods rather than one undated annual total. The supplier and customer should resolve any uncertainty from the actual agreement.
Build an invoice review sheet
For affected purchases, retain the engagement, consideration due date, payment evidence, service-period breakdown, supplier tax details and any exemption support. Record the treatment applied and the source or adviser used to confirm it. Changes to an engagement should preserve the earlier version.
A review sheet can separate confirmed invoices from those awaiting clarification. Do not silently alter a supplier invoice or claim a GST input tax credit for the PST. The two taxes remain separate in the books.
Check budgets and the first affected close
Include the reviewed tax treatment when forecasting the cost of bookkeeping and other affected purchases. For example, 7% PST on an otherwise taxable $900 accounting-service base is $63; this is a PST-only illustration, not a complete invoice total or an assessment of a particular exemption.
At the first affected close, compare supplier invoices, the review sheet and the ledger. Explain transitional items separately so staff do not replace them with a blanket current-rate rule. This preserves a defensible history when payments and service delivery cross different periods.
Put this into practice
Sources and current guidance
A practical next step
Bring the records you have.
We can identify missing information, agree on the scope and organize the next bookkeeping step.
Request a bookkeeping review