eTaxBC help guide for third-party accountants and bookkeepers

Last updated on February 1, 2024

If you are an accountant or bookkeeper that has permission to file or pay your clients’ taxes, you may use eTaxBC as an effective tool to file or pay on their behalf.

To get started in eTaxBC, you must first get direct access or enrol for third-party access to eTaxBC.

Once you have access, you can:

Requesting access to your clients' eTaxBC accounts

If you have a third-party eTaxBC account, you can send a request to access your clients’ account to file and/or pay on their behalf.  Your client(s) must already have an eTaxBC account before you send the request.

To request access:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select Settings
  3. Under I Want To, select Request access to client's account
  4. Select your client's account type from the drop down list and enter your client's account information
  5. Select the Access Level you are requesting:
    • File Returns: You can only file returns on behalf of your client
    • File Returns and Make Payments: You can file returns and make payments on behalf of your client
    • Make Payments: You can only make payments on behalf of your client
    • View: You can only view your client's account
  6. Select Next
  7. Select Submit

You will need to complete steps 3 - 7 for each account for each client. This process sends a request to your client's eTaxBC account and an email to your client informing them of your request.

Once you have requested access, your client can log on to their account to change your access level (if desired) and approve or deny your request. You will receive an email when your client responds to your request.

Manage your clients' returns

If you enrolled for third-party eTaxBC access and have been granted access to your clients’ accounts, you will see your clients listed under Individuals and Businesses when you first log on. Select a client to see their accounts that you have access to.

The balance showing under the Alerts header at the top of the Home page is the total of all balances outstanding on all accounts you have access to. When you select a business, it will show the outstanding balance for all accounts you have access to for that business. When you select a specific account, it will show the outstanding balance for that account.

Learn how to

File your clients' returns

To file a return for a client:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Select File Return for the period you wish to file. If you don’t see the period, select View Periods to show all periods
  5. Fill out the return form. If there is no PST collected, select Yes beside Is this a NIL return?
  6. Select Submit

Change your clients' return

If your clients’ return has already been submitted, you can still make changes, including filing a Nil return. To change a return:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Select the period you want to change. If you don’t see the period, select View Periods to show all periods
  5. Under I Want To, select File or amend a return
  6. Select Amend Return
  7. Make your changes
  8. In the Reason for Amendment box, explain why you are changing the return
  9. Select Submit

Cancel your clients' return

You can only cancel a return if it has a Submitted status. To cancel a return:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Select the period you want to change. If you don’t see the period, select View Periods to show all periods
  5. Select the return link in the Period Activity section
  6. Select Withdraw Submission
  7. Select Yes to confirm

If you cancel the return, you will need to file the return again.

Manage payments on behalf of your clients

You must have Make Payment or File Return and Make Payment access to your client's account if you want to make a payment on their behalf using eTaxBC.

Learn how to

Set up your clients' payment channel

To set up a payment channel for your client:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select the Payment Channels tab
  4. Select Setup new payment channel under the client you wish to add one for
  5. Fill in the bank account information
  6. Select Yes to agree to the terms and conditions of the Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) Agreement
  7. Select Save

 Make payments on your clients' behalf

You can make a payment in eTaxBC when you file a return or separately at a later time. Payments can only be made through Canadian Financial Institutions. You must add a payment channel (bank account information) to your client’s account if you don’t have one yet. Credit card payments are not accepted.

When you make a payment in eTaxBC, the payment will be effective on the date you enter as the Payment Date. For example, if you submit a payment on the due date before midnight Pacific Standard Time, your payment will be considered on time, even though we may not process it until the next day.

You can pay:

Pay a specific period

When you pay a specific period, the payment is applied to debt on that period first, even if there is older debt owing on the account.

To pay a specific period:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Select Make Payment beside the period you are paying. If you don’t see the period, select View Periods to show all periods. Note: If a return is required for the period, you must file the return before you will see the Make Payment link. To make a payment without filing a return, see account payments
  5. Confirm the payment channel (bank account information). If you’re adding a new payment channel, you’ll need to agree to the Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement before you can submit the payment. To do this, select Yes at the bottom of the agreement
  6. Confirm the Payment Date. This is the date the payment will be applied to the account
  7. Confirm the amount of your payment
  8. Select Yes to authorize the payment
  9. Select Submit

The payment will have a status of Submitted until we send the request to your client’s financial institution. This usually takes one business day. However, it may take up to 5 business days for the payment to be transferred from your client’s bank account, especially if this is your first time making your client’s payment on eTaxBC. Payments made are not guaranteed until the amount is debited from their account. If a payment fails it may result in a dishonoured payment fee.

If you post-date the payment, it will remain in a Submitted status until that date.

Account payment

You can make an account payment for any amount. The payment is automatically applied to the oldest debts first.

To make an account payment:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Under I Want To, select Make a payment
  5. Confirm the payment channel (bank account information). If you’re adding a new payment channel, you’ll need to agree to the Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement before you can submit the payment. To do this, select Yes at the bottom of the agreement
  6. Confirm the Payment Date. This is the date the payment will be applied to the account
  7. Enter the payment amount
  8. Select Yes to authorize the payment
  9. Select Submit

The payment will have a status of Submitted until we send the request to your client’s financial institution. This usually takes one business day. However, it may take up to 5 business days for the payment to be transferred from your client’s bank account, especially if this is your first time making your client’s payment on eTaxBC. Payments made are not guaranteed until the amount is debited from your account. If a payment fails it may result in a dishonoured payment fee.

If you post-date the payment, it will remain in a Submitted status until that date.

Cancel a payment on your clients’ behalf

You can cancel a payment in eTaxBC if it has a status of Submitted and is not showing as Processing in the payment details screen. Requests are processed every evening or on the date you specified for the payment. Once the payment has been processed, you’ll need to contact your client’s financial institution for assistance.

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Select the Submissions tab
  5. Select the payment you want to cancel. If you do not see the payment, select View Submissions to see all your submissions
  6. Under I Want To, select Cancel Payment
  7. Select Yes to confirm

Manage account access

Learn how to:

Add employees to your eTaxBC account

You can give your employees access to your eTaxBC account so they can view, file or make payments for your clients. To give your employee access:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select Settings
  3. Under I Want To, select Manage logons
  4. Select the Add button
  5. Complete the required fields
  6. Select the Type of Access you wish to give your employee to your business:
    • Full Access: Can manage other logon and third-party accesses, as well as change entity information
    • Account Manager: Can only manage account information on accounts they are granted access to
  7. Select Next
  8. Select Grant Access beside any of the accounts you wish to provide the logon access to, then select the type of access from the drop down box:
    • File Returns: You can only file returns on behalf of your client
    • File Returns and Make Payments: You can file returns and make payments on behalf of your client
    • Make Payments: You can only make payments on behalf of your client
    • View: You can only view your client's account
  9. Select Submit

An email is sent to this person with further instructions. The link in the email must be used within 24 hours. If the link is not used within 24 hours, you can “Resend logon access email” from within your account. Your client(s) will be notified that a new logon has been given access to their account(s).

Cancel access to a client's eTaxBC account

If you no longer need access to a client's eTaxBC account, you can remove the account:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select Settings
  3. Select the Access tab
  4. Select Third-Party beside the Access Type of the business you want to remove your access to
  5. Select Remove my access to…
  6. Select OK

Close a client's account temporarily or permanently

You can close your client's account permanently or temporarily if you have access to file or pay returns for their account. You may want to close your client's account if they

  • Close or sell the business
  • Temporarily close the business
  • Change the business so its activities are no longer taxable

To close a client’s account:

  1. Log on to your eTaxBC account
  2. Select your client from the list of individuals and businesses you have access to
  3. Select the appropriate account
  4. Under I Want To, select Close this account
  5. Complete the form
  6. Select Submit
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Contact information

Our eTaxBC help desk is available on weekdays from 8:30 am - 4:20 pm Pacific Standard Time.