City of Vernon joining call opposing PST extension

The City of Vernon is joining a call opposing a PST extension onto essential professional services.

The provincial government has plans within Budget 2026 to expand the Provincial Sales Tax to essential professional services. Those include engineering and geoscience, architectural services, accounting and auditing, strata and rental management, commercial real estate commissions, and security and private investigation services.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), along with a range of other agencies, have come together to oppose the PST expansion, citing its potential negative impacts such as:

• Increasing capital and infrastructure project costs
• Raising costs for protecting businesses from crime, vandalism and street disorder
• Adding pressure to already constrained municipal operating budgets
• Increasing costs and delays in processes relying on qualified professionals or specialized services
• Potentially leading to higher property taxes, delayed projects, or service reductions