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BC PST expansion spurs calls for municipal exemptions

A woman at a desk with a calculator and laptop.
STOCK IMAGE/SHUTTERSTOCK

Business groups aren’t the only ones crying foul over BC’s expansion to the provincial sales tax.

The 2026 provincial budget removed some exemptions from the 7% tax, which is expected to net $1.3 billion into government coffers over the three years.

Archictectural, accounting and engineering services are among those that will have the PST tacked onto the cost by Oct. 1, and municipalities don’t get an exemption.

“Without intervention, these increased costs will be passed directly on to municipal taxpayers, placing an additional and unanticipated financial burden on the communities they serve,” reads a letter from the District of Peachland to other municipalities.

Peachland is requesting the Union of BC Municipalities lobby for a local government exemption.

BC business groups and developers have taken issue with the additional sales tax. The province says it will modernize the PST system, making it similar to other provinces, but the BC Business Council argues it is more onerous than other jurisdictions.

Also included in the expanded PST scope are real estate services, like property management and trading services, along with security services and private investigation.

Other consumer products like clothing fabric, landline telephones and cable television will also lose their PST exemption by Oct. 1.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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