FIN-320 Appraisal BC: Certified, Remote, and Delivered in 1 Hour

Key facts, sources and verification

Form

FIN 320, Motor Vehicle Appraisal Form

Governing legislation

Provincial Sales Tax Act (British Columbia)

Value reported

Expected retail value on a private sale. The form states the appraised value is not a trade in figure.

What the value rests on

The specific vehicle: odometer, damage, mechanical condition, whether it runs, and its documented history. Not a lookup from the VIN alone.

Who may complete it

A registered motor dealer, an equivalent business in another jurisdiction, or a person whose business it is to appraise motor vehicles

Area served

All of British Columbia, handled remotely

Provider

IC Appraisal BC

Standard fee

$75 plus tax for an accepted standard remote FIN 320 file

When to present it

Bulletin PST 308 says the appraised value is considered if the form is presented when you register the vehicle, or attached to a refund application afterwards

Quick answers

Who is allowed to complete a FIN-320 in British Columbia?

The FIN 320 form states it must be completed by a motor dealer registered under the BC Motor Dealer Act, a person authorized to carry on a similar business in another jurisdiction, or "a person whose business it is to appraise motor vehicles." Bulletin PST 308 repeats the same requirement. IC Appraisal BC qualifies under the third category, and the appraiser signs the Part 5 certification on every form.

How does BC decide how much PST you pay on a private vehicle sale?

PST is charged on the greater of the purchase price or the average wholesale value, which Bulletin PST 308 defines as the Canadian Black Book value. If you believe the vehicle is worth less than that, you may provide a completed FIN 320. The bulletin then says that where the appraised value and the purchase price are both below the average wholesale value, PST is calculated on the greater of the appraised value and the purchase price.

What value does a FIN-320 actually report?

Retail value, not a trade in figure. The form itself carries the note that the appraised value "is NOT intended to be trade-in value but represents the expected retail value when a motor vehicle is sold privately." This is the single most common misunderstanding, and quoting a trade-in figure on a FIN 320 is a defect in the form.

What is the difference between a FIN-320 and a FIN-355MV?

The FIN 320 is the appraisal; the FIN 355/MV is the refund application. You present a FIN 320 when you register the vehicle to have PST charged on the appraised value in the first place. If PST has already been paid, the FIN 320 instead becomes an attachment to a FIN 355/MV refund claim, which the Ministry of Finance must receive within 30 days of the registration date.

Can the seller get the appraisal, or does it have to be the buyer?

Either. Bulletin PST 308 states that appraisals "may be obtained by the purchaser or seller of the motor vehicle." In practice the buyer usually orders it, because the buyer is the one paying the PST.

Sources

The statements above are drawn from the following primary documents. Each was checked against the source on the verification date below.

• FIN 320, Motor Vehicle Appraisal Form (BC Ministry of Finance)
• Bulletin PST 308, PST on Vehicles (BC Ministry of Finance)
• Notice 2022-005, PST on Motor Vehicles Purchased at Private Sales or Imported from Outside Canada
• FIN 355/MV, Application for Refund of PST Paid on a Motor Vehicle
• ICBC vehicle registration

Canadian Black Book returns one number from the VIN. It does not account for kilometres, damage, mechanical condition, or whether the vehicle runs at all. A FIN 320 appraisal is built on those things, which is why it produces a figure the Ministry of Finance accepts. The form itself states the appraised value “is NOT intended to be trade-in value but represents the expected retail value when a motor vehicle is sold privately”.

Verified against the source documents on 1 September 2026.

This page is general information about British Columbia vehicle appraisal and PST, not legal or tax advice. PST is assessed by the BC Ministry of Finance and registration is handled by ICBC and Autoplan brokers, so the amount of tax owing or refunded on any particular vehicle is determined by them, not by the appraiser. Figures quoted from government publications were verified against the source documents on the date shown.