GST and PST filing for BC small businesses
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Two taxes, two registrations, two sets of deadlines. We prepare and file both, from books that were reconciled before the return was started.
Short answer: we register BC small businesses for GST and PST where they need it, set the tax codes in the books and the point of sale, and prepare and file both returns on the schedule each tax assigns you: GST to the CRA, PST to the province. Input tax credits are claimed with the receipts behind them, and late returns are caught up before the monthly filing starts. GST and PST filing is in the Standard and Complete plans, at a fixed monthly fee.
What the filing service covers
Why the two taxes go wrong together
Being registered for one tells you nothing about the other. GST turns on revenue, with a CAD 30,000 threshold; PST turns on what you sell, and a business can need it from the first sale. The two have separate deadlines set by separate governments, which is how a business ends up filing one and quietly missing the other. Filing both from the same reconciled books is what keeps them agreeing with each other and with the bank.
If returns are already late
We bring the books up to date first, then file the outstanding returns from them, oldest first. Where the gap is large, the Voluntary Disclosures Program can reduce penalties and some of the interest if the application comes before the CRA makes contact, and the guide sets out when it applies.
Questions about GST and PST filing
Do I need to register for both GST and PST?
Not always. GST registration is required once taxable sales pass CAD 30,000. PST registration depends on what you sell in BC. Many service businesses need GST only; a business selling goods usually needs both.
How often do I have to file GST and PST?
Each tax sets its own schedule: GST monthly, quarterly or annually, depending on revenue and your election; PST as the province assigns. We file both on whatever schedule you have.
Can you file returns I am behind on?
Yes. We reconstruct the books for the missing periods first, then file the returns from them. Catch-up work is quoted once, before it starts.
Is GST and PST filing in every plan?
It is in the Standard and Complete plans. The Foundation plan covers bookkeeping and reports only.
GST and PST in BC: what each applies to →
GST registration and input tax credits →
Get a written quote
Tell us where you are, roughly how many transactions a month and what you need filed. A written scope and a fixed monthly price follow within one business day.
info@orbisaccounting.ca