BC's 7% PST on Security Services Is Paused: What B.C. Security Companies Should Do Now

B.C. was set to make security services (including private investigation) taxable under PST at 7% on the full fee starting October 1, 2026. The province has paused that expansion. Security services remain PST-exempt for now.

Two things are worth being clear about:

• It is a pause, not a repeal. The pause was announced in September 2026 and is being implemented through a temporary regulation. No new start date has been announced, and the province has indicated it may revisit the expansion once current trade uncertainty resolves. The underlying legislation remains in place.
• The province estimates the pause across all affected professional services saves people, businesses, and local governments about $260 million in 2026-27.

Checklist for a B.C. security company

1. Do not add PST to invoices for security services. If your invoicing system was switched on for October 1, switch the PST line back off.
2. If you already charged PST on October work, correct it. Businesses that collected PST in error on an exempt service may need to refund it to the client. Credit the client rather than remitting it.
3. Check quotes and contracts. Any quote, proposal, or contract amended to add PST “from October 1” should be corrected, and the client told it no longer applies.
4. If you registered for a PST account only because of this expansion, B.C.‘s official Notice 2026-001 says you should cancel it via eTaxBC or by calling 1-877-388-4440. Because this is a pause and the tax could return, it is worth a quick confirmation with your accountant or tax advisor before deregistering.
5. Don’t rebuild your pricing around the pause. With no new date set and the measure able to return, treat this as deferred, not dead.

A Note on Making Changes Like This Easier

Tax changes like this one are announced, paused, and sometimes reversed, and every change means touching invoices, quotes, and contracts. It is easier to reverse when your billing hours come from the same system that tracks your shifts and patrols, rather than from spreadsheets assembled at month-end. That is the idea behind Novagems: scheduling, patrols, and payroll-ready timesheets in one place, so a change like this is a settings change, not a week of corrections. It is the same workflow B.C. operators already use to run security guard management in Canada.

This post is general information, not tax advice. For your specific situation, check with your accountant or tax advisor.

Sources

• Province of B.C., Notice 2026-001: Notice to providers of professional services (updated September 21, 2026): gov.bc.ca
• KPMG TaxNewsFlash (September 2026), on the pause being a deferral rather than a cancellation, with no revised date and a refund point for PST collected in error: kpmg.com
• REMI Network, announcement details and the $260 million estimate: reminetwork.com