Winter 2013-2012
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BC Legal Management Association A newsletter to help our Members, Representatives, Affiliates and partners stay current with the business of law ✦ Winter 2013-2012 SOME FIRMS COULD BE DEALING WITH THREE LAWS, REGISTRATION NUMBERS AND TAX FORMS Stepping back to the future as BC’s new PST and GST replace the HST in April By Charlotte Hoggard, CGA, CFI; (a) services that come within the meaning of Wicca-pedia Quiz! Principal, T. Charlotte Hoggard Inc., the practice of law under the Legal Profession Act, Our intrepid You Be the of Victoria (b) services described in section 18 of the No- Judge columnist, Paula Butler taries Act, and of Butler Workplace Solutions, nder the previ- (c) legally related services prescribed as legal has three delicious puzzles for Uous provincial services, law-firm administrators and sales tax, known as ... though services rendered as an em- HR managers. But be wary the Social Service Tax ployee are excluded. of answers for the Wicca’d Witch, Ms Bully and Mr Act (SSTA), legal fees It’s clear that lawyers or law firms offer- Shortchanged. Get one were a taxable ing legal services in BC must register for wrong, and it could blow up service. BC’s newest incarnation of the PST in the in your face! Page 6 This tax status re- next three monts. turns effective April 1, 2013 with the new Charlotte Hoggard REGISTERING FOR BC PST Provincial Sales Tax Act (PSTA). Legal ser- Though the BC PST does not begin un- vices will again be subject to provincial sales til April 1, registration opened earlier this Winter 2013-2012 tax (PST) at a rate of 7%. month, on January 2. The various registra- • Stepping back to the future as the new PST and GST Legal services are defined in the legisla- tion option methods are: replace the HST in April . 1 • Goodbye, Stephanie . 1 tion (PSTA, Part 1, Division 1) to be: Back to a PST future fl to Page 2 • Law Society’s paralegal reforms aim to improve access to justice . 9 • Some law firms think you can improve both A SPECIAL CONTRIBUTOR TO THE BCLMA TAKES HER LEAVE quality and profit . 11 • BCLMA 2013 schedule of annual surveys . 13 • Photo Essay! 80 attendees to ‘Change Conference’ busy Good Bye, Stephanie with packed agenda, networking, trade show . 14–16 • How to tap the power of search engines to market their picture taken in your firm on the Internet . 18 By Bob Waterman, Chair, Topics • Event Announcement: Gotcha! CLEBC presents Editorial Committee, BCLMA Stanley Park. The lo- Electronic Discovery 2013 . 20 cation was the hollow • Content Marketing: You already know how it’s made, but you’re using new digital n your life, you meet and come to know tree, well before the channels to distribute it . 22 some really special people. We all do. $150,000 metal brace • Photo Essay! Winter Social: Prelude to cool Yule I proves popular once again, as attendance One of mine is Stephanie Marsh. was installed. continues to rise . 24–26 I met Stephanie in a tree in Stanley My next meeting • Volunteer Hero Awards: Lisa Dawson turns ideas into reality while volunteering at the BCLMA . .27 Park in 2001. I was in the process of tak- with Stephanie was in • How to: Strengthen your firm’s brand with ing a new position – in Alberta – so I was 2007. I was invited to attention-grabbing images . 28 Stephanie Marsh leaving British Columbia. It was my last a lunch by an old Al- • BCLMA’s Member & Newsletter Services . 2 Topics meeting, and it was Stephanie’s berta administrator friend, Ernie Gau- • Cartoon Feature: The Firm . 2 • You Be The Judge, by Paula Butler: Answers first. vreau. Ernie and I go back more than 30 in the Case of the Case of Mommy Dearest, For you old timers who may still have years. I had just joined Richards Buell plus the new Case of the Wiccan Celebrant (and two other puzzles) . 6 the November 2001 edition of the last Sutton LLP in Vancouver. • Making the Moves . 14 printed newsletter, the members of the Being naïve, I suspected Ernie asked • Save These Dates . 13, 14, 19, 24 then–Topics Committee decided to have Goodbye, Stephanie fl to Page 4 • BCLMA’s Executive & Subsection contact info . 30 WINTER 2013-2012 ✦ BC Legal Management Association ✦ www.BCLMA.org ✦ Member Services: [email protected] Topics 2 Back to a PST future fl from Page 1 BC Legal Management Association More to come WINTER 2013-2012 • Online – at eTaxBC; This may not yet be the full extent of the PST • In person – at your local Service BC requirements for law firms. The BC Editor: Stephanie Marsh Editorial Committee: Bob Waterman (Chair), Lorraine Centre, or at 1802 Douglas Street in Vic- government promised to have the Regulations Burchynsky (Topics Advertising), Paula Butler, Ann of the new Provincial Sales Tax Act toria; or Halkett, Sunita March, Pelar Davidson, Peter Morgan. published by last December 31, and they’re • By fax or mail. Committee administrative support: Jane Kennedy. Registration forms, entitled Application not out yet as we write this. The Act itself was approved by the legislature last May 31. Managing Editor, Designer: Peter Morgan for Registration for Provincial Sales Tax (FIN 418) are available from the BC Ministry Although the Act itself is law, there are This issue and the newsletter’s archive are all available of Finance, any Service BC Centre and already amendments proposed for it, and they in PDF format at: www.BCLMA.org are not expected to be approved until the spring on the website www.gov.bc.ca/PST. Once Editorial © 2013 BCLMA, CANADA session of the BC legislature, and they may yet the Ministry approves your application, a Published by: MORGAN:NewsServices be adjusted. To that end, the government has www.Morgan-News.com letter will be sent with your PST number published a consolidated version with the (format PST #### ####) and your tax-re- proposed amendments to date, in PDF format. turn filing schedule. You can download it here: BCLMA President: Cindy Hildebrandt If you have any questions, the min- http://tinyurl.com/ax8z726 istry’s contact is, toll-free, at 1-877-388- Who we are 4440 or email at: – Editor The BCLMA, founded in 1972, is a non-profit organiza- [email protected] tion with 120 Representatives and 240 Affiliates across tice should be to calculate BC PST on all BC. It is the BCLMA’s goal to provide educational and CHARGES INCLUDED IN ‘LEGAL SERVICES’ charges, and only exclude those in which networking opportunities, to enhance skills as legal ad- The PSTA, in subsection 20(2), says the lawyer has acted as an agent for the ministrators and managers, and to provide professional the following are considered taxable legal client. and personal benefits to its registrants. services: Where the lawyer has acted as an Member services: (a) the fees and charges, other than those pre- agent in paying the legal expenses of the G Opportunities to network with other law firm admin- client, these amounts should be recorded scribed as excluded, istrators and managers are provided by events such as our (b) disbursements for legal research or secre- as an account receivable, including any annual Spring and Winter socials, or our monthly subsec- tarial and other support services, and taxes incurred in the payment of these tion meetings.We host an annual Managing Partners (c) other prescribed disbursements… amounts. Any taxes paid as an agent are Event, and a large conference every other year. ... which are charged for or in relation not the expense of the agent but the prin- G The Job Bank on our website outlines information to legal services. cipal for whom the agent is acting and on potential employment opportunities for all types of The general prac- Back to a PST future fl to Page 5 THE FIRM legal-related and lawyer positions. C G The Discussion Board on our website enables Rep- O N M ! resentatives and Affiliates to quickly get questions an- W G E A !! swered and obtain advice from others who may have E F R A T ORKS INA T U L A T I O N S ST W faced similar situations. The best way to get involved is LLY F THE H IGURED OUT HOW to become a part of the BCLMA. “UM... GUYS...” Newsletter services: Topics is a public newsletter. We will be pleased to add you to our email list for it. Please contact the Editorial Committee Chair, or any member of the Editorial Com- mittee listed on the back page, for comments on any of these articles or to offer suggestions for articles in future is- sues, or for adjustments to the circulation list. Comments are always welcome. Reproduction rights: , 2013 Topics is copyrighted, however we encourage you to cir- CANADA PST FAQ PST WTF? PST PST LAWSPST REGS PST PST culate or copy this newsletter unmodified for your own © internal or private use. You may freely quote any article S or portion of article, but it must be accompanied by PST TRICKS NOTES attribution. Quoting any article or portion of article with- SHORTS QUICK GRAHAM MORGAN out attribution is prohibited. The newsletter, its contents or its material may not be sold, intact or modified, nor included in any package or product offered for sale. WINTER 2013-2012 ✦ BC Legal Management Association ✦ www.BCLMA.org DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT FACILITIES MANAGEMENT OFFICE EQUIPMENT MANAGED DOCUMENT SERVICES AT RICOH, WE GO BEYOND THE PRINTED PAGE. For a company to prosper in today’s information-rich society, intelligence must be at the heart of its business plan.