This guide is about records and compliance only. Rex Tax does not endorse any candidate, party or position. Elections BC is the authority on election financing rules; this guide summarises them for record-keeping purposes and links to the official sources.
Who this is for
Candidates for council, school board, mayor or regional district in BC’s 2026 general local elections, and the people acting as their financial agents.
The seven rules
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Appoint a financial agent first. Every local candidate must have one. It can be the candidate. The financial agent is responsible for the campaign’s money and records and for the disclosure statement.
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Open a campaign account. All contributions in, all expenses out, through one account used for nothing else. Personal money a candidate puts in is a contribution and is logged like any other.
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Check who can contribute. Only eligible individuals: residents of BC who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents. No corporations, unions or other organizations. The 2026 limit is $1,429.70 per individual to any one candidate, or to an elector organization and its endorsed candidates together.
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Log every contribution. Date, full name, residential address, amount, and the form it took. Elections BC’s rules set what must be recorded and what is disclosed publicly. Keep the log current; reconstructing it in January is where mistakes happen.
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Keep every expense record. Invoices and receipts for advertising, signs, printing, venues, websites, and anything else. Election advertising has its own rules on sponsorship identification; keep copies of the ads themselves.
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Record fundraising events properly. Who bought tickets, at what price, and what the event cost. Elections BC’s rules treat part or all of a ticket price above a set amount as a contribution. The ticket record is also a contribution record. See our fundraiser guide.
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Know the deadline. The disclosure statement is due to Elections BC within 90 days after general voting day. For October 17, 2026, that is mid-January 2027. Late or missing statements carry penalties and can lead to disqualification.
One thing many people do not realize
In local elections, contributions from organizations are prohibited and only eligible individuals may give. A business owner who wants to support a campaign cannot do it through the company. The contribution has to come from the individual, within the individual limit. A cheque drawn on a corporate account is a problem for the campaign, not a convenience.
What to prepare
- Financial agent appointment, filed with the local election officer as required
- Campaign bank account details
- A contribution log template and a receipt book or system
- An expense file, one folder per supplier
- A calendar entry for the 90-day deadline
When professional help may make sense
Campaigns with multiple volunteers handling money, several fundraising events, or in-kind contributions that need valuing. The financial agent remains responsible; a bookkeeper makes the job manageable.
How Rex Tax may be able to help
Campaign bookkeeping and records organisation within our services. We are not a financial agent or an election-law specialist and we do not act in a political capacity. Elections BC publishes the candidate guide and the disclosure forms.
Official sources
- Province of BC: Election advertising and campaign financing rules for local elections
- Elections BC: Local elections FAQs
- CPABC: Local election financing rules 101 (July 2026)
This guide is general information, not advice about your situation. It reflects the rules for the 2026 tax year. It has not yet been reviewed by a practitioner. The information was checked against the official sources listed above on the date shown. Rules change. Check the official sources above or ask us. How we prepare these guides.