--- title: "GST and PST Filing in Surrey BC | Returns and Registration" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-surrey description: "GST filing for Surrey trades and project businesses — when tax becomes payable on deposits and progress billings, plus PST on real property. Ask a CPA." type: service-in-a-city updated: 2026-10-08 summary: "For Surrey businesses, GST generally becomes payable on the earlier of the day an invoice is issued and the day payment is received. A deposit taken before any work is done therefore puts tax in the seller’s hands well ahead of the revenue being earned. British Columbia adds a separate 7% PST. GST/HST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month." faq_count: 8 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc., a Chartered Professional Accountant firm registered with CPA British Columbia and CPA Alberta service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba language: en-CA contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) Surrey GST/HST & PST · Surrey # GST/HST filing in *Surrey* On a project-billed job, GST arrives long before the work is finished and often before costs are paid. That gap is why profitable Surrey trades and project businesses run into sales tax trouble. EverStone files GST and [PST](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst) for [Surrey businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-surrey) remotely. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Quick answer:** For Surrey businesses, GST generally becomes payable on the earlier of the day an invoice is issued and the day payment is received. A deposit taken before any work is done therefore puts tax in the seller’s hands well ahead of the revenue being earned. British Columbia adds a separate 7% PST. GST/HST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month. The work covers the GST/HST return (the GST34), input tax credits, the filing frequency, instalments where they apply and the notice of assessment that follows. The tax point arrives before the work, the costs and the margin. ## The tax point is earlier than the revenue point For a business paid on completion, sales tax timing is invisible. For one paid in deposits, draws and progress billings, it is the central problem. **GST generally becomes payable on the earlier of the day the invoice is issued and the day the consideration is received.** A deposit taken in February for April work belongs to the [reporting period](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc4022.html) it arrived in, not the one in which the job finishes. So a Surrey contractor ends up holding money that feels like working capital and is not. Deposits go on materials and mobilisation, quite rationally, and then the period closes and the remittance is real. The business was profitable; the cash just moved in the wrong order. The fix is mechanical: move the tax portion of every deposit and draw to a separate account the day it lands. ## Progress billings, holdbacks and what the return has to show With staged billing, each billing has its own tax point, and a period’s return reflects billings issued, not jobs completed. Holdbacks complicate this, because the amount withheld differs from the amount invoiced, so a return prepared from receipts will not agree with one from invoices. Either basis works on its own; switching between them produces a reconciliation nobody can close at year-end. Reconcile the return to the sales ledger every period (billings issued, tax charged, tax remitted) rather than building it from a bank feed. It takes minutes when the books are current and days when they are not. Read [what the CRA looks at in a GST review](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-audit-what-cra-checks) before the question is asked. ## PST on work that improves real property BC’s 7% PST works differently on construction than most expect. On a contract to improve real property, the contractor is generally the *end user* of the materials: you pay PST on them instead of charging the customer, so it is a cost inside your price. Supply-only arrangements differ. Because the answer follows the contract wording, settle the treatment before quoting; a price that assumed recovery from the customer cannot absorb the tax later. PST is registered and filed separately from GST, with the BC Ministry of Finance rather than the CRA, and PST paid on inputs is generally not recoverable. Our [BC PST guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/bc-pst-small-business-guide) covers the registration side, and the rates sit with their source on the [BC tax facts page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bc-tax-facts). ## What is covered - GST/HST returns prepared from the sales ledger and filed on your reporting period - Tax points applied correctly to deposits, draws and progress billings - Holdback treatment kept consistent between the books and the returns - Input tax credits claimed on materials, subtrades and equipment - PST position on real property contracts settled before pricing - Separate BC PST returns where PST applies to what you sell - Every return reconciled to the ledger rather than to a bank balance ## Remote, with no Surrey office EverStone has no Surrey office and does not plan one. Surrey businesses are served entirely online: records arrive electronically, returns are reviewed by video call and approved by e-signature, which suits principals working on sites across the city. One CPA holds the file, keeping the deposit treatment consistent from first draw to final billing. About this article **EverStone CPA** Prepared and reviewed by a CPA at EverStone CPA, serving businesses in BC, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba. Updated September 2026 . [About the firm](https://www.everstonecpa.com/about) · [Send an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online) ## Sales tax that applies to a Surrey business Sales tax that applies to a Surrey business Sales tax in British Columbia | Tax | Rate | Administered by | | GST | 5% | Canada Revenue Agency | | PST | 7% | BC Ministry of Finance | | HST | Not applicable | — | Source: [British Columbia tax facts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bc-tax-facts). General information, not advice. Federal return and payment dates for each reporting period are on the [GST filing deadlines page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-filing-deadlines). ## Who this is for, and who it is not This fits a Surrey business that is registered, or about to be, and wants returns filed on the right frequency with input tax credits claimed. It is not for anyone who wants unreconciled figures submitted: a GST return is only as good as the books behind it. Filing and bookkeeping are both on [the published fee list](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). Common questions Surrey businesses working across the valley can see [GST/PST filing in the Fraser Valley](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-fraser-valley) for how the GST and PST returns fit together. In Surrey, EverStone also works with [contractors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/contractor-accountant-surrey) and [realtors](https://www.everstonecpa.com/realtor-accountant-surrey). ## Surrey GST and PST questions **When is GST due on a deposit?** Generally on the earlier of invoice and payment, so a deposit taken before work begins puts tax in your hands before the revenue is earned. It belongs to the reporting period it arrived in, not the one the job finishes in. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Should the GST on a deposit be set aside?** Yes, and it is the most useful single control for a project business. Moving the tax out of the operating account on arrival removes the gap between receiving and remitting, which causes most sales tax cash crises. **How do holdbacks affect the GST return?** They create a gap between what has been invoiced and what has been received, so a return prepared from receipts will not agree with one prepared from billings. Either basis can be applied consistently; the problem arises when a business switches between them and the reconciliation stops closing. **Does BC PST apply to a renovation contract?** On a contract to improve real property the contractor is generally treated as the end user of the materials, so PST is paid on the materials rather than charged to the customer and sits inside your price as a cost. Supply-only arrangements are treated differently, and the answer follows the contract wording. **Can PST paid on materials be claimed back?** No. There is no input tax credit equivalent for BC PST, so it is a cost rather than a recoverable amount. That is precisely why the treatment has to be decided before the quote is issued — a price that assumed recovery cannot absorb the tax after the fact. **Is there an EverStone office in Surrey?** No. The firm operates virtually and serves Surrey businesses entirely remotely through video meetings, secure document exchange and e-signature. The engagement works the same whether your projects are in Cloverdale, Newton or anywhere else in the city. **What does GST/HST filing cost in Surrey?** Nothing about a Surrey address changes the fee. GST/HST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping from $325 a month. A standalone return is quoted in writing after we review your enquiry. [See the published fees](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). **Do you work with businesses outside Surrey itself?** Yes. Registrants in Cloverdale, Newton, Fleetwood, South Surrey and White Rock file on the same schedule and at the same fee as Surrey businesses; nothing about the service depends on the municipality. ## Deposits and draws under control Get the GST timing, the PST position and the reconciliation handled by a CPA. Send an enquiry. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) ## Remote GST/HST filing EverStone is a fully virtual, one-CPA firm serving Surrey clients online. **There is no Surrey office and no local staff.** We meet by video or phone, documents move by secure email and e-signature, and no visit is required. Returns use the same books as the corporate return, so the sales figures on the GST return and in the financial statements agree. Where the same file also needs [Surrey corporate returns](https://www.everstonecpa.com/corporate-tax-accountant-surrey) and [personal tax in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-surrey), that is handled in one engagement. Owners who need [our Surrey bookkeeping page](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bookkeeping-surrey) and [getting the Surrey returns filed](https://www.everstonecpa.com/personal-tax-accountant-surrey) as well will find it on the same terms. ## Related services and local guides Nearby cities, the rest of what we do for Surrey businesses, and the reference pages behind this one. Valley-wide: [GST and PST filing for Fraser Valley businesses](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-pst-filing-fraser-valley-businesses) — who registers for which, filing frequency, contractors and farms. [GST/HST Filing Tracker A free spreadsheet tracking GST/HST collected and input tax credits by period, calculating the net owing so filing becomes transcription, not archaeology.](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-tracker) [The section 156 election: nil consideration between related corporations](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-section-156-election-related-corporations) [GST/HST on exports and non-resident customers](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-on-exports-and-non-residents) [GST/HST Quick Method: can it save you money?](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/gst-hst-quick-method-canada) [GST/HST filing in Vancouver](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-vancouver) [Payroll in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/payroll-services-surrey) [CFO services in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cfo-services-surrey) [Accounting & CPA services in Surrey](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-surrey) [GST/HST hub](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-hub) [GST/HST calculator Work out the tax on any amount](https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-calculator) [Accountants across British Columbia](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-british-columbia) [British Columbia tax facts](https://www.everstonecpa.com/bc-tax-facts) [Accountants in the Fraser Valley](https://www.everstonecpa.com/accountant-fraser-valley) [Financial statements for Surrey companies](https://www.everstonecpa.com/financial-statements-surrey) ### Starting fees GST/HST and PST filing is included in monthly bookkeeping. Every fee is fixed in writing before any work begins. - **Monthly bookkeeping, GST/PST filing included** from $325 a month *This page* - **Payroll, remittances, T4s and ROEs** included in monthly bookkeeping - **Books, payroll and the year-end T2 together** $500–$700 a month - **Corporate year-end and T2 return** fixed fee, quoted in writing - **Personal tax return (T1)** from $125; self-employed or rental $275–$500 - **Catch-up bookkeeping** from $2,200 per year of records - **Controller or CFO support** controller from $1,650, CFO from $2,750 a month - **One-off advice call with a CPA** $225 plus GST [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online?service=monthly#enquiry-form) --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/gst-hst-filing-surrey Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online