What's New?
- Provincial Sales Tax (PST)
- New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA)
- The Business Number for Sole Proprietorships and General Partnerships
- Now Available - Business Name Requests Online!
Provincial Sales Tax (PST)
The provincial sales tax (PST) is returning on April 1, 2013. If you regularly sell or lease taxable goods, sell software or provide taxable services in BC in the ordinary course of your business, you need to register to collect the tax. For help to determine if you need to register, please see the Ministry of Finance website at http://gov.bc.ca/pst
New businesses can register for PST through OneStop Business Registry or directly with the Ministry of Finance. Existing businesses should register directly with the Ministry of Finance.
Questions? Contact the Ministry of Finance toll free within Canada at 1 877 388-4440 or email CTBTaxQuestions@gov.bc.ca
New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA)
On July 1, 2012, BC Registry Services implemented the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA). The New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) is an agreement between British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan that benefits businesses by eliminating the need to register and maintain company information with each province individually.
This agreement builds on the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) implemented in 2009 between British Columbia and Alberta, by extending the same processes to Saskatchewan.
For more details regarding this initiative, see New West Partnership Trade Agreement.
The Business Number for Sole Proprietorships and General Partnerships
On October 24th, 2011 the OneStop Business Registry added the national Business Number to all new Sole Proprietorships and General Partnerships registrations. This move is in response to the growing demand for all businesses to have one identifying number for all their dealings with government. The Business Number service provides the ability for each BC business interacting with the public sector to be assigned a Business Number (BN) - a unique identifier that makes working with the public sector simpler, easier, and more convenient.
Now Available - Business Name Requests Online!
For the past several years the number one comment the OneStop Business Registry and BC Registry Services has received is “make the reservation of a business name available online".
BC Registry Services has introduced a web-based Name Requests Online system that will, for the first time, provide an online business name reservation service for credit card and over-the-counter customers. To submit a business name reservation through Name Requests Online, go to www.bcregistrynames.gov.bc.ca/nro/.
BC Registry Services will continue to examine names submitted through Name Requests Online, and the online service will have built-in edits and validations that will help:
- reduce the number of name rejections;
- reduce the number of telephone calls;
- reduce turnaround times;
- reduce user frustration;
- allow online submission of name approval requests for credit card customers;
- simplify the process;
- remove the bottleneck; and
- facilitate the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).
Customers may continue to reserve a name through our other multi-channel service venues: phone, in person and mail. Clients can visit any of the OneStop service delivery sites or contact a registry agent to submit their name requests. BC Registry Services staff will continue to advise clients over-the-telephone and on our web sites of the different options available to reserve a name.
If you require further information, please contact 1 877-370-1033.
