PST Registration

January 15, 2013

Tax Question:

Do I need to register for PST?

Facts:

On April 1, 2013, the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) was reintroduced into British Columbia (BC). You have to register for PST if you regularly do any of the following in BC: sell or lease taxable goods, provide legal services, provide accommodation of four or more rooms, provide software, or repair or maintain taxable goods.

If you do not do any of the previously mentioned items, are a wholesaler and do not make retail sales, or sell goods from your home and have $10,000 or less in annual gross revenues, you are not required to register for PST.

Discussion:

In order to charge and collect PST, you must register for a new PST number. Your old PST number will not be re-instated and cannot be re-activated. The new PST number will be 11 characters long and will be in the format: PST-1234-5678. There are three ways to register:

  1. Online
  2. In-person at the Service BC Centre in Victoria, BC
  3. By mail or fax.
 

You will need to have some information ready such as your business number, incorporation number, etc. before you start the registration process. You can also sign up for an online PST account where you can file and pay PST electronically instead of paper filing. If you register in person or by mail or fax, you will need to complete the registration application form found on the Government of BC website and provide any required supporting documents as noted in the application. The application form also notes where the information should be sent depending on the method of registration chosen. The registration process started on January 2, 2013. If you are required to register, you must register before April 1, 2013. If you fail to meet this deadline, you will be prohibited from making retail sales or leasing goods in BC.

If you would like more information on this topic, please contact a member of the Empire CPA team by filling out the contact form below.

Canadian and foreign tax laws are complex and have a tendency to change on a frequent basis. As such, the content published above is believed to be accurate as of the date of this post. Before implementing any tax planning, please seek professional advice from a qualified tax professional. Empire, Chartered Professional Accountants will not accept any liability for any tax ramifications that may result from acting based on the information contained above.

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