If you are gathering records for GST/HST, BC PST or both, start by identifying the program each record supports. For a BC business, GST/HST is a federal tax administered by the Canada Revenue Agency, while PST is administered by the Province of British Columbia. Their accounts and returns are separate. This guide is about organizing information, not deciding which accounts your business needs.

Use a record layout that lets you identify each tax amount and follow it back to the transaction. For example, discuss separate tax columns or account codes with your bookkeeper. These are suggested ways to organize records, not instructions to open another bank account or buy different software.

Start with sales and supporting documents

For your preparation file, gather sales invoices, credit notes, refunds and sales-system reports for the period. Keep a way to trace summary figures back to individual documents. Identify GST/HST and PST separately where they appear, and flag documents with unclear tax treatment rather than deciding the treatment from a total alone.

If you file a GST/HST return, CRA guidance requires records describing the goods or services in enough detail to determine whether GST/HST applies. The BC guide also addresses sales and purchase records and evidence supporting exemptions. A useful handoff therefore includes the underlying documents, not just a spreadsheet containing tax totals.

Gather GST/HST purchase support for ITC review

An input tax credit, or ITC, can allow an eligible GST/HST registrant to recover GST/HST paid or payable on qualifying purchases connected with commercial activities. It is not an automatic credit for every purchase. Eligibility, use of the purchase, claim timing and the accounting method can affect the result.

CRA requires sufficient supporting documentation before an ITC is claimed. Gather the original invoice or receipt information, including supplier, date, description, amounts and tax details, and request missing information where needed. Check the supplier's GST/HST registration information where relevant to the claim. The precise requirements vary; this suggested collection list is not a substitute for checking the documentation rules that apply to a particular claim.

BC PST does not have the GST/HST input-tax-credit system. Specific exemptions or refunds may apply, but each has its own conditions. Keep the relevant purchase records and any exemption or refund support together rather than treating PST paid as a GST/HST credit.

If PST is payable on a purchase and the seller has not charged it, BC requires the purchaser to self-assess, meaning pay that PST directly to the province. An invoice without PST is therefore a question to check, not proof that no PST is due. Flag the purchase and its intended use for assessment; this article does not determine the taxability of that transaction.

GST/HST and PST reporting periods follow their respective program rules. Check each account's actual period and note any changes. Do not copy the dates from one return onto the other without checking them. For industry-specific questions, check current provincial notices as well as the linked guidance.

For your own tracking, distinguish records assembled, questions resolved, return approved, return filed and payment arranged. Preparing a return and paying an amount owing are different tasks. Confirm who handles each step and retain the relevant confirmation in that account's file.

This resource does not determine registration requirements, rates, transaction taxability or eligibility for a credit, exemption or refund. It is general information, not legal advice or a determination for your circumstances. Industry-specific or historical issues need separate assessment.

For help, describe which accounts and periods need attention. MH Ledger&Co Ltd. confirms sales-tax preparation, authorizations, filing steps and payment responsibilities within the agreed scope; preparation does not mean we automatically remit funds. Monthly bookkeeping support is a separate way to organize the underlying records. Use the inquiry form for a summary only, without account credentials or financial documents; agree on a secure sharing method separately.

Learn which GST/HST and BC PST records to organize separately, including sales, purchases, supporting documents and reporting-period details for your business.

GST/HST vs BC PST: Records to Keep Separate | MH Ledger

GST/HST vs BC PST: What Small Businesses Need to Keep Separate

Resources about sales tax records in Canada and British Columbia.

GST/HST & BC PST

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GST/HST vs BC PST: What Small Businesses Need to Keep Separate