Prior year updates to income taxes

Last updated on March 27, 2024

Prior year updates to income tax information are archived here. Income taxes include personal income tax, corporate income tax, insurance premium tax and logging tax.

Looking for newer updates? View our current year updates to information about income taxes and subscribe to receive email notifications when we update our website.

Prior year updates by year

To view all the past updates, click Expand All below.

 

B.C. Income tax - 2023

Personal income tax and tax credits

December 19, 2023

Interest rates (%) for income tax related programs have been updated for January to March 2024 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

June 30, 2023

Budget 2023 increased the B.C. climate action tax credit amounts effective July 1, 2023. The web page has been updated with information for the new benefit year.

Budget 2023 permanently increased the B.C. family benefit amounts and added a new supplement for lower-income single parent families starting in July 2023. The web page has been updated with information for the new benefit year.

June 26, 2023

Interest rates (%) for income tax related programs have been updated for July to September 2023 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

April 28, 2023

The online forms to certify your retrofit for the clean buildings tax credit are now available. Learn more about how to claim the clean buildings tax credit

March 24, 2023

Interest rates (%) have been updated for April to June 2023 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

February 28, 2023

The provincial government announced its 2023 Budget on February 28, 2023. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

February 25, 2023

Another B.C. affordability credit will be included with the April 2023 B.C. climate action tax credit payment. We’ve also made our B.C. climate action tax credit information easier to read.

February 14, 2023

Interest rates (%) have been updated for January to March 2023 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

January 26, 2023

For the purposes of the clean buildings tax credit, a calculator is now available to help you determine the building's energy use intensity values. The calculator is a downloadable Microsoft Excel workbook (XLSM, 121KB)

January 16, 2023

The B.C. 2023 personal income tax brackets and rates and basic credits are now available on our website. Information about tuition and education credits has been updated for clarity.


Corporate income tax and tax credits

September 26, 2023

The natural gas tax credit has updated interest rates (%) on overdue balances and refunds for October to December 2023.

January 6, 2023

Bulletin CIT 008, British Columbia Book Publishing Tax Credit (PDF) has been incorporated into web content. You can find the webpage at Book publishing tax credit.

Please update your bookmarks to the new location on our website.


Insurance taxes

September 26, 2023

Insurance premium tax has updated interest rates (%) on overdue balances and refunds for October to December 2023.

May 18, 2023

As announced for Budget 2023, to learn about your options for filing and paying insurance premium tax, see:

  • File and pay your insurance taxes for licensed insurance
  • File and pay your insurance taxes for unlicensed insurance

Penalties and interest for insurance premium tax are updated. To learn more, see Penalties and interest for insurance tax

Penalties and interest for logging tax are also updated. To learn more, see Penalties and interest for logging tax


Logging tax

September 26, 2023

Logging tax has updated interest rates (%) on overdue balances and refunds for October to December 2023.

May 18, 2023

As announced for Budget 2023, to learn about your options for filing and paying insurance premium tax, see:

  • File and pay your insurance taxes for licensed insurance
  • File and pay your insurance taxes for unlicensed insurance

Penalties and interest for insurance premium tax are updated. To learn more, see Penalties and interest for insurance tax

Penalties and interest for logging tax are also updated. To learn more, see Penalties and interest for logging tax

 

B.C. Income tax - 2022

December 6, 2022

More information about how to certify a retrofit for the clean buildings tax credit is now available. The online forms for this process will be available April 2023.

December 1, 2022

Insurance agents must submit requests for refunds on behalf of clients individually, not with a batch of Returns of Unlicensed Insurance.
FIN 529, Insurance Agency Summary Report, has been updated to reflect this change.
 

Learn more about how to request a refund for insurance premium tax

November 18, 2022

The B.C. government announced a B.C. affordability credit paid with the B.C. climate action tax credit payment for January 2023.

October 6, 2022

Bulletin GEN 002, Appeals (PDF, 160KB) and the Can you appeal? page have been revised to update the appeal deadline information for insurance premium tax and logging tax, as a result of Budget 2022.

September 26, 2022

Interest rates (%) have been updated for October to December 2022 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

September 7, 2022

The provincial government is providing a temporary benefit enhancement for the B.C. family benefit (previously called the B.C. child opportunity benefit). The enhancement provides up to $175 per child for the period January 2023 to March 2023 (up to $58.33 per month). Learn more about the B.C. family benefit.

The provincial government also announced a one-time enhanced B.C. climate action tax credit payment for October 2022. Learn more about the climate action tax credit.

July 22, 2022

Information about the production services tax credit has been updated to reflect new proposed legislative measures. These changes affect production companies that first incurred accredited B.C. labour expenditures between July 1, 2020 and February 21, 2022. Learn more and see examples:

  • Production services tax credit
  • Production services tax credit frequently asked questions

July 19, 2022

The B.C. climate action tax credit page has been updated with the payment amounts and income threshold amounts for the July 2022 to June 2023 benefit year.

July 13, 2022

A new Clean Buildings Tax Credit Regulation has been enacted. Information about the clean buildings tax credit and calculating energy use intensity has been updated to:

  • Add prescribed energy conversion factors
  • Clarify information about qualified persons, heating degree days and determining EUI if your building has parts that are different types

June 28, 2022

Interest rates (%) have been updated for July to September 2022 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

April 13, 2022

Interest rates (%) have been updated for April to June 2022 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

April 6, 2022

The BC child opportunity benefit web page has been updated to include adjusted family net income thresholds for payments made for July 2022 to June 2023.

February 22, 2022

The provincial government announced its 2022 Budget on February 22, 2022. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

February 8, 2022

Interest rates (%) have been updated for January to March 2022 for:

  • Interest charged on overdue balances and late payments (debit rates)
  • Interest payable on refunds and credit balances (credit rates)

January 20, 2022

The following tax credit pages have been updated for clarity:

  • Film and television tax credit
  • Film and television tax credit frequently asked questions
  • Production services tax credit
  • Production services tax credit frequently asked questions
 

B.C. Income tax - 2021

August 5, 2021

The Increased Employment Incentive web content has been updated to provide further clarification on how the credit is calculated.

April 20, 2021

The provincial government announced its 2021 Budget on April 20, 2021. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

March 30, 2021

Applications for the B.C. increased employment incentive are now open online and will close on December 31, 2021.

Visit the B.C. increased employment incentive webpage to learn more about:

  • Which employers are eligible for the credit
  • How to calculate the credit amount
  • What you need to apply

March 19, 2021

The following tables have been revised to include updated information about the programs eligible for the training tax credit

  • Table of Eligible Programs and Completion Requirements for Apprentices (PDF, 256KB)
  • Table of Eligible Programs and Completion Requirements for Employers (PDF, 267KB)

March 11, 2021

The provincial government proposed extending the B.C. book publishing tax credit by five years.

Learn more about the B.C. book publishing tax credit.

 

B.C. Income tax - 2020

September 17, 2020

As part of B.C.’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan, government announced the B.C. Increased employment incentive, a tax credit for employers who create new jobs for B.C. workers or increase the payroll for existing low- or medium-income employees in the last quarter ending December 31, 2020.

September 4, 2020

As part of our COVID-19 supports, the deadline to claim the following tax credits for claims required to be made March 13, 2020 or later is extended to six months from the original due date or to December 31, 2020, whichever is earlier:

  • book publishing tax credit
  • film and television tax credit
  • production services tax credit
  • interactive digital media tax credit
  • mining exploration tax credits (personal)
  • mining exploration tax credits (corporate)
  • scientific research and experimental development tax credit
  • training tax credit for employers

The B.C. mining flow-through share (B.C. MFTS) tax credit eligibility period is being extended from 24 months to 36 months for 2019 and 2020 flow-through share purchases. This is the eligibility period during which an expenditure must be incurred by the issuer in order to be renounced in favour of flow-through shares. This extension aligns the eligibility period for the B.C. MFTS tax credit with the temporary federal timelines for flow-through shares

May 28, 2020

B.C. logging tax returns due between the periods of March 18, 2020 to August 31, 2020 are now due September 1, 2020.

May 21, 2020

The Federal government announced benefit payments will continue for an additional three months for those who are not able to file their 2019 income tax returns on time. This will also apply to the enhanced B.C. climate action tax credit payment for July 2020 and the B.C. Early Childhood Tax Benefit payments for July 2020 to September 2020.

April 2, 2020

In response to the B.C. government's COVID-19 action plan, the B.C. climate action tax credit web content has been updated to include details about a one-time enhanced July 2020 payment.

March 23, 2020

Effective immediately, the B.C. government has introduced tax changes to assist in the response to COVID-19. Learn more at COVID-19 action plan - provincial tax changes.

March 9, 2020

The B.C. Taxpayer Fairness and Service Code is now available online.

February 18, 2020

The provincial government announced its 2020 Budget on February 18, 2020. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

January 2, 2020

The Natural gas tax credit website has been updated to:

  • Explain how to calculate the cost of natural gas for the Natural Gas Tax Credit
  • Include the new Natural Gas Tax Credit Application form (FIN 515)
  • Include an Annual Cost of Natural Gas Worksheet template
 

B.C. Income tax - 2019

March 26, 2019

The Bill 10 - Income Tax Amendment Act, 2019 proposes to implement a natural gas tax credit for liquefied natural gas development in B.C. Learn more about the proposed natural gas tax credit.

February 19, 2019

The provincial government announced its 2019 Budget today. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial Budget Tax Changes.

 

B.C. Income tax - 2018

August 23, 2018

Use the BC Logging Tax information sheet to find out if you must complete and file the Logging Tax Return of Income. (FIN 542S)

March 14, 2018

The FIN 196, Application for Refund of Logging Tax has been updated to allow a maximum refund of $6,667.  Use this form to apply for a refund of logging tax paid for tax years ending after March 31, 2017.

February 20, 2018

The provincial government announced its 2018 Budget today. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

 

B.C. Income tax - 2017

September 11, 2017

The provincial government announced its Budget 2017 Update today. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

February 21, 2017

The provincial government announced its 2017 Budget today. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

February 9, 2017

The Film and Television Tax Credit and Production Services Tax Credit webpages have been updated with information on the change to the Designed Vancouver Area, which is effective for productions with principal photography starting on or after January 25, 2017.

 

B.C. Income tax - 2016

July 14, 2016

The B.C. Commission on Tax Competitiveness has been announced and the website is now live. On this site you'll find information about the commission, its members and its terms of reference. You can fill out an online form to provide your thoughts on how we can improve tax competitiveness in B.C. Check it out at engage.gov.bc.ca/taxcommission

June 28, 2016

Bulletin CIT 006, Mining Exploration Tax Credit, has been revised to extend the expiry date for METC to December 31, 2019.

Bulletin PIT 001, BC Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit, has been revised to extend the expiry date for the BC MFTS tax credit to December 31, 2016.

June 23, 2016

Possible postal service disruption

If there is disruption to postal services, you are still responsible for filing your returns, claiming grants, applying for programs or refunds, and making payments on time.

Find out more.

February 16, 2016

The provincial government announced its 2016 Budget on February 16, 2016. Programs administered by the Income Taxation Branch are amended as a result. Learn more at B.C. Provincial budget tax changes.

January 19, 2016

Information Sheet 2016-003, BC Basic Personal Income Tax Credits: 2006 - 2014. This information sheet lists previous years' basic personal income tax credits. Current year basic tax credits can be found on our website at gov.bc.ca/incometaxes

Information Sheet 2016-004, Personal Income Tax Rates: 2006 - 2014. This information sheet lists previous years' personal income tax rates. Current rates can be found on our website at gov.bc.ca/incometaxes