Canada Sales Tax Rates and Calculators

Canada, which is located in North America, has ten provinces and three territories. The country, which spans across an entire continent, extends all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific and even northward into the Arctic Ocean.

Canada contains provinces and territories. Provinces have their own constitutional power, while territories are governed directly by the federal government.

Our sales tax database covers all provinces and territories of Canada. To find the sales tax rate for a specific location, simply refer to our list of locations below or search for it at the top of the page.

Introduction to Sales Tax in Canada

Sales tax in Canada exists in several forms with different terminology. On the federal level, there exists the Goods and Services Tax, which is often abbreviated as GST. In French, this is called "taxe sur les produits et services".

Sales tax is levied on the supply of goods or services purchased in Canada and includes most products. Exceptions exist for certain essentials and other items. A brief list is included below along with links for more details. These vary depending on province.

Businesses that buy goods and services that are used in the course of their commercial activities can claim rebates in the form of input tax credits, which are subject to certain limitations and requirements. In other words, it's generally the buyer that is responsible for the payment of the sales tax after everything is said and done while the seller is responsible for collecting and remitting it to the government.

On the provincial level, there also exists the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) which some provinces have and some do not. Some provinces even have their own special names for this. In Manitoba, the Provincial Sales Tax is called the Retail Sales Tax (RST) while in Quebec, their Provincial Sales Tax is simply called the Quebec Sales Tax (QST) or "Taxe de vente du Québec" (TVQ) in French.

In the five provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is combined with Provincial Sales Tax (PST) into a Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

The three northern provinces of Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon have no provincial sales tax. In other words, only GST exists. This omission of potential government revenue is offset by large subsidies from the federal government along with additional tax concessions that residents receive due to the high cost of living in the northern reaches of the country.

Do prices in Canada include sales tax?

Despite the sales tax in Canada being a form of value added tax (VAT), posted prices in Canada generally do not include sales tax. Virtually all prices except for fuel pump prices, taxi meters, and some other things are shown without sales tax. Instead, sales tax is usually added on at purchase just like in the United States. Note that some places may list the sales tax, but do so separately.

Most other countries with a value added tax have laws and regulation that stipulate that posted prices include tax. In other words, what you see is what you pay. This doesn't happen in Canada because all the provinces and territories have chosen not to require prices to include the Goods and Services Tax (GST) so that the situation is similar to their provincial sales taxes. The individual provinces and territories are able to do this because jurisdiction over posted prices and advertising is mostly in their domain under a provision within the Constitution Act, 1867. This act is a major part of Canada as it defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada. This includes everything from the federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and most importantly here, the taxation system.

Exceptions to GST/HST Sales Tax

Exceptions for GST/HST sales tax on items are split into two categories. The first of which is zero rated supplies which carry a sales tax rate of zero. The second of which is exempt supplies which sales tax is not applicable on. For the most part, they mean the same thing, but a small difference between them is that one may be able to claim input tax credits (ITCs) on zero rated supplies while one generally cannot on exempt supplies.

Zero Rated Items

• basic groceries such as milk, bread, and vegetables
• agricultural products such as grain, raw wool, and dried tobacco leaves
• most farm livestock
• most fishery products such as fish for human consumption
• prescription drugs and drug-dispensing services
• certain medical devices such as hearing aids and artificial teeth
• feminine hygiene products
• exports (most goods and services for which you charge and collect the GST/HST in Canada are zero-rated when exported)
• many transportation services where the origin or destination is outside Canada

Exempt Items

• a sale of housing that was last used by an individual as a place of residence
• long-term rentals of residential accommodation (of one month or more) and residential condominium fees
• most health, medical, and dental services performed by licensed physicians or dentists for medical reasons
• child care services, where the primary purpose is to provide care and supervision to children 14 years of age or under for periods of less than 24 hours per day
• most domestic ferry services
• legal aid services
• many educational services such as:
• courses supplied by a vocational school leading to a certificate or a diploma that certifies the ability of individuals to practice or perform a trade or a vocation
• tutoring services made to an individual in a course that follows a curriculum designated by a school authority
• music lessons
• most services provided by financial institutions such as lending money or operating deposit accounts
• the issuance of insurance policies by an insurer and the arranging for the issuance of insurance policies by insurance agents
• most property and services provided by charities and public institutions
• certain property and services provided by governments, non-profit organizations, municipalities, and other public service bodies including municipal transit services and standard residential services such as water distribution

List of Provinces and Territories

• To see more details for a specific region, simply click or tap on their name in the table below.

Region	Total Sales Tax Rate
Alberta	5%
British Columbia	12%
Manitoba	12%
New Brunswick	15%
Newfoundland and Labrador	15%
Northwest Territories	5%
Nova Scotia	15%
Nunavut	5%
Ontario	13%
Prince Edward Island	15%
Quebec	14.975%
Saskatchewan	11%
Yukon	5%

More From Investomatica:

For income tax, please visit our Canada Income Tax Rates and Calculator page.