Business Purchase & Sale guides
Legal guides from Equity Law Group on Business Purchase & Sale in British Columbia. For help with your own matter, see our Business Purchase & Sale service or contact us.
Holdbacks and Escrow in a Business Purchase: Why Part of the Price Waits
October 19, 2026
Many business purchases pay most of the price on closing and hold the rest back for a period. Here is why buyers ask for a holdback or escrow, how the money is protected, the tax rule for non-resident sellers, and the release terms worth negotiating.
Vendor take-back financing in a BC business sale: how seller financing works
October 15, 2026
In a vendor take-back, the seller lets the buyer pay part of the price over time. This article looks at the arrangement from both sides: the note, the security and its registration, the bank's priority, and what happens if the buyer stops paying.
Financing a business purchase in BC: bank loans, government-backed loans and seller financing
October 15, 2026
Most buyers of a BC business combine their own money with a bank loan, a government-backed loan or seller financing. Each source comes with conditions, security and timing that end up inside the purchase deal, so it pays to line them up before you sign.
Warning Signs When Looking at a Business for Sale in BC
October 14, 2026
Some problems with a business for sale show up long before formal due diligence. Here are the warning signs BC buyers should watch for when browsing listings and meeting sellers, and what to do when you spot one before you make an offer.
Selling a Business After a Death: What the Executor Needs to Know
October 14, 2026
When a business owner dies in BC, the executor often has to keep the business going and then sell it. This guide covers the executor's authority, selling before or after probate, the 210-day distribution rule, valuation and tax, and how the sale itself works.
Selling a Business to Your Children in BC: Family Succession Options
October 14, 2026
Handing a family business to the next generation can be done by sale, gift or an estate freeze, and each has different tax and family consequences. Here is a plain-language overview of the options and the newer intergenerational transfer rules.
Selling Company Shares and the Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption: What to Check First
October 14, 2026
The lifetime capital gains exemption can shelter a large part of the gain when you sell shares of your private company, but only if the shares pass tests that look back two years. Here is what to check with your lawyer and accountant before a sale.
Employees when a BC business is sold: what transfers and what doesn't
October 14, 2026
When a BC business changes hands, its employees' service usually goes with it. This article explains how section 97 of the Employment Standards Act works in share and asset sales, who is responsible for wages and severance, and what buyers and sellers should settle in the agreement.
Buying Out a Business Partner in BC: Price, Payment Terms and Releases
October 12, 2026
Buying out a business partner in BC means agreeing a price, deciding whether you or the company buys, structuring payments you can afford, and getting releases that end the relationship cleanly. Here is what to cover in the deal.
The lease when you buy a business: assignment, sublease or a new lease
October 12, 2026
If the business you are buying depends on its location, the lease can matter as much as the price. Here is how assignment, sublease and a new lease differ in BC, why landlord consent drives the timeline, and what to make a condition of your deal.
Debts a buyer can inherit in BC: taxes, wages, WorkSafeBC and PST
October 12, 2026
Buying a BC business's assets does not always leave its debts behind. Unpaid PST, WorkSafeBC premiums and employees' years of service can follow the business to you. Here is where the risk sits and how clearances, holdbacks and indemnities deal with it.
Letters of intent for buying a BC business: which parts bind you
October 12, 2026
A letter of intent to buy a BC business is usually described as non-binding, but clauses such as exclusivity, confidentiality and deposits often bind from the day you sign. Here is how courts decide what binds and what to settle first.
Retiring From Your Business: Sale, Family Transfer, Employee Sale or Wind-Down
October 9, 2026
There are four main ways to step away from a BC business: sell to an outside buyer, pass it to family, sell to employees, or wind it down. Each has different legal steps, risks and tax consequences. Here is how they compare and when to start planning.
Selling Your Business in BC: The Legal Process from Listing to Closing
October 9, 2026
Selling a business in BC moves through preparation, a letter of intent, due diligence, a purchase agreement and closing. This guide maps each stage for owners, including shareholder approval, landlord consent, employees and PST, and where legal advice matters most.
Buying a Restaurant in BC: Lease, Liquor Licence, Equipment and Permits
October 8, 2026
Buying a restaurant, cafe or bar in BC involves more than a price and a handshake. Here is what to check on the lease, how a liquor licence transfer works, why the health permit does not transfer, and how equipment and staff are handled.
Preparing Your Business for Sale: The Legal Clean-Up to Start One to Three Years Ahead
October 8, 2026
Planning to sell your BC business in the next few years? The records, contracts, lease, intellectual property and tax position a buyer will test can take months to put in order. Here is what to clean up, and when to start.
Key terms of a business purchase agreement in BC
October 7, 2026
Once the letter of intent is signed, the purchase agreement decides what is being sold, how the price is paid and who bears the risk. Here are the key terms of a BC business purchase agreement and what to watch for in each.
Due diligence checklist for buying a business in BC
October 7, 2026
Signed a letter of intent to buy a BC business? This checklist covers the company records, registry and title searches, lease and contracts, employees and WorkSafeBC, and the PST and GST steps to work through before you are committed to closing.
Buying a Business in BC: The Legal Steps from First Conversation to Closing
October 5, 2026
Buying an existing business in BC follows a predictable legal sequence: confidentiality agreement, letter of intent, due diligence, purchase agreement, landlord and lender approvals, then closing. Here is what happens at each step and where buyers get caught out.
Buying a Small Business in BC: Share Purchase or Asset Purchase?
October 4, 2026
Every purchase of an incorporated business in BC starts with the same fork in the road: buy the company's shares, or buy its assets. The choice shapes who carries the risk, who pays the tax, and how much paperwork stands between you and the keys. Here is how the two routes differ.