What is GST and PST filing?
GST and PST filing is reporting the sales taxes you charged and paid, and sending in what is owed. In British Columbia that means two separate returns: the federal Goods and Services Tax, filed with the Canada Revenue Agency, and the provincial sales tax, filed with the BC Ministry of Finance. They follow different rules, on different schedules, through different systems.
A return is only as good as the books behind it. We prepare each one from a closed, reconciled month, so the figures can be traced back to the bank.
What does Abbotsford Bookkeeping include in GST and PST filing?
- GST registration, if you have passed the small-supplier threshold, and PST registration if you sell taxable goods or services in BC
- Coding each sale as taxable, zero-rated or exempt, and each purchase for input tax credits
- GST returns filed electronically with the Canada Revenue Agency, and PST returns through eTaxBC
- Payments scheduled for the due date, with the amount shown to you first
- A reconciliation of the tax accounts in the ledger to what was filed
Which software do you use for GST and PST?
QuickBooks Online or Xero track both taxes on every transaction. GST returns are filed electronically, which the Canada Revenue Agency now expects of almost every business, and PST returns go through the province's eTaxBC system. You keep your own logins to both, and we work as your authorized representative.
How are GST and PST different in BC?
GST is a 5% federal tax administered by the Canada Revenue Agency; PST is a separate 7% provincial tax administered by the BC Ministry of Finance. A sale can carry one, both or neither, so each needs its own coding.
| Question | GST | BC PST |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | 5% | 7% general rate |
| Administered by | Canada Revenue Agency | BC Ministry of Finance (eTaxBC) |
| When you must register | Once taxable sales pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters | If you sell or lease taxable goods, software or taxable services in BC, unless you qualify as a small seller |
| How often you file | Assigned by annual taxable sales: annual up to $1.5 million, quarterly up to $6 million, monthly above that | Assigned by the PST you collect in a year |
| When the return is due | One month after a monthly or quarterly period; three months after year-end for most annual filers | Last day of the month after the reporting period |
Sole proprietors with a December 31 year-end who file GST annually get until June 15 to file, but the payment is still due April 30.
What is not included in GST and PST filing?
Representing you in a sales tax audit, objection or appeal, and registering for sales taxes outside BC or in the United States. We prepare the records an auditor will ask for, and your CPA or a tax lawyer handles the representation.
What does GST and PST filing cost in Abbotsford?
GST and PST filing is included in every monthly tier: $500 to $750 a month CAD on Steady, $800 to $1,200 on Considered and $1,250 to $2,000 on Bespoke. Filing more often, holding several registrations across related companies, or a large share of zero-rated or exported sales can move a business into a higher tier. Late returns from before we started are scoped as part of catch-up bookkeeping.
Which Abbotsford sales are zero-rated or PST-exempt?
Many farm and food sales carry no GST at all, but they are zero-rated rather than exempt, and the difference matters. Zero-rated means GST applies at 0%, so a registered farm can still claim input tax credits on fuel, repairs and supplies. The Canada Revenue Agency lists as zero-rated, among others:
- basic groceries such as milk, bread and vegetables
- agricultural products such as grain, and most farm livestock raised for food
- sales of quota authorized by a marketing board for zero-rated products, including dairy, chicken, turkey and eggs
- most exported goods, and certain services supplied to non-residents
Not everything on a farm qualifies. Custom work done by one farmer for another, bedding plants, sod, cut flowers and firewood, and horses are taxable, which catches out many mixed operations.
On the PST side, food for human consumption is exempt. A qualifying farmer, generally one who owns or leases land classed as a farm by BC Assessment, can buy specifically listed farm equipment and goods without PST by giving the supplier a Certificate of Exemption – Farmer (FIN 458) or a valid BC Farmer Identity Card. Only the listed items qualify, and only when used solely for farming, so we check the purchase, not just the buyer.
A good fit if
- You are registered for GST, PST or both, or close to the threshold
- You sell a mix of taxable, zero-rated and exempt goods
- You want returns that tie back to reconciled books every period
Probably not the right fit if
- You need representation in a current sales tax audit
- You sell mainly into the United States and need state sales tax filings
- You want returns filed without monthly bookkeeping behind them