British Columbia delays PST expansion to professional services amid U.S. trade pressures

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
September 20, 2026

Photo courtesy: Danielle Chadwick | Facebook

British Columbia is delaying a planned expansion of its Provincial Sales Tax to several professional services, citing added pressure on businesses from ongoing trade tensions with the United States.

Premier David Eby said businesses are already being forced to make difficult decisions as they deal with the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

“Trump’s trade war means businesses are dealing with new pressures, and many are making tough decisions,” Eby said.

“That’s why we will delay the planned expansion of the PST to a number of professional services, which other provinces include, but that many small businesses rely on.”

The change had been scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2026, as part of measures introduced under B.C.’s 2026 budget. The provincial government announced on September 18 that the expansion will instead be paused through a temporary regulation.

Under the original plan, PST was to be extended to accounting and bookkeeping, architectural, engineering and geoscience, security and private investigation, and certain non-residential real estate services, including property management and real estate trading services.

Those services will remain exempt while the expansion is paused, according to the province.

The B.C. government estimates the delay will save individuals, businesses and local governments approximately C$260 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Finance Minister Josie Osborne said businesses and communities need greater flexibility to invest and adapt during the current period of economic uncertainty.

“Pausing the PST expansion will protect jobs and help local governments that use professional services manage their costs of delivering infrastructure and community services,” Osborne said.

The government had previously said the planned expansion would bring B.C.’s treatment of professional services more in line with other Canadian provinces that apply sales taxes to those services.

For now, the existing PST exemptions covering the affected professional services will remain in place while the province holds off on implementing the planned expansion.