B.C. passed the Pay Transparency Act in 2023. One part of it requires larger employers to publish a yearly report on whether there's a pay gap between men, women, non-binary employees, and people who'd rather not say. It's been rolling out in stages. Government and the big Crown corporations went first in 2023. Then came employers with 1,000+ employees in 2024, and 300+ in 2025. This year, it reached 50+ employees, bringing in many businesses for the first time. If this is the first you've heard of it, you're not alone.

Payroll may not be the first place you think of when you hear “anti-money laundering.” But for accountants and bookkeepers, payroll can provide a unique window into a business’s financial activity, employee information, payments, and changes over time. That visibility can sometimes reveal activity that deserves a closer look, even when your primary role is simply managing payroll. The important distinction is that seeing something unusual does not automatically mean you have a FINTRAC reporting obligation. What matters is understanding when AML obligations apply to your specific activities, recognizing potential red flags, and knowing what steps you can take when something doesn’t add up.