Sales Tax Calculator Canada (2026)
Sales tax in Canada depends on where you buy, not just what you buy. The same $100 item costs $105.00 in Alberta, $113.00 in Ontario and $114.98 in Quebec. This calculator works out the exact tax for all 13 provinces and territories — and it runs in reverse, too: enter a tax-included total and it splits out the pre-tax price and each tax component.
Estimates rounded to the nearest cent. Some goods and services are zero-rated or exempt (for example basic groceries and prescription drugs), so the tax on a specific purchase can differ.
How this sales tax calculator works
Every province and territory charges the 5% federal GST. What changes is what sits on top of it. Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island blend the federal and provincial parts into a single HST. British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba charge a separate provincial tax (PST or RST) alongside the GST. Quebec charges GST plus the QST. Alberta and the three territories charge GST only.
In “before tax” mode the calculator applies each tax to your pre-tax amount and adds them up. In “tax included” mode it works backwards: it divides your total by one plus the combined rate — by 1.13 in Ontario, for example, or by 1.14975 in Quebec — to recover the pre-tax price, then splits out each component. One detail worth knowing: since 2013 the QST is charged on the price before GST, not on the GST-included price, so Quebec’s combined rate is a straight 14.975%, not a tax on a tax.
Sales tax rates by province and territory (2026)
| Province / territory | Federal part | Provincial part | Combined rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | GST 5% | — | 5% |
| British Columbia | GST 5% | PST 7% | 12% |
| Manitoba | GST 5% | RST 7% | 12% |
| New Brunswick | HST 15% | 15% | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | HST 15% | 15% | |
| Nova Scotia | HST 14% | 14% | |
| Ontario | HST 13% | 13% | |
| Prince Edward Island | HST 15% | 15% | |
| Quebec | GST 5% | QST 9.975% | 14.975% |
| Saskatchewan | GST 5% | PST 6% | 11% |
| Northwest Territories | GST 5% | — | 5% |
| Nunavut | GST 5% | — | 5% |
| Yukon | GST 5% | — | 5% |
Worked examples
| Example | Pre-tax | Tax breakdown | Total tax | Total price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100 purchase in Ontario | $100.00 | HST 13% = $13.00 | $13.00 | $113.00 |
| $100 purchase in Quebec | $100.00 | GST 5% = $5.00 · QST 9.975% = $9.98 | $14.98 | $114.98 |
| $100 purchase in Alberta | $100.00 | GST 5% = $5.00 | $5.00 | $105.00 |
| $224 tax-included total in British Columbia (reverse) | $200.00 | GST 5% = $10.00 · PST 7% = $14.00 | $24.00 | $224.00 |
The Quebec row shows why the QST’s odd rate exists: 9.975% of $100 is $9.975, which rounds to $9.98. The rate looks strange because it was set so that the combined GST + QST burden in Quebec roughly matches a 15% HST once you remember QST is no longer charged on top of GST.
Good to know before you rely on the total
Not everything is taxed at the full rate. Basic groceries and prescription drugs are zero-rated (taxed at 0%), and services such as health care, child care and residential rent are exempt. Restaurant meals, prepared food and most retail goods are fully taxed. This calculator assumes the standard rate applies to the whole amount.
The place of supply decides the rate. Buying in a store, you pay that province’s rate. Ordering online for delivery, the seller generally charges the rate of the province the goods are delivered to — which is why the same cart can total differently for a Toronto and a Halifax address.
Businesses mostly get the GST/HST back. If you are registered for GST/HST, you claim input tax credits for the tax you pay on business purchases, so the number that matters for your books is the pre-tax amount — the “tax included” mode above exists largely for splitting receipts. Provincial PST/RST and QST follow their own recovery rules.
Sales tax is only one layer of your tax picture. To see what income tax does to a salary in each province, try our take-home pay calculator, and check the brackets behind it in our guide to Canada’s 2026 tax brackets. For the full set of tools, visit the calculators hub.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Quebec’s QST 9.975% instead of a round number?
Until 2013, the QST was charged on the GST-included price, so its stated rate had to be lower to produce the intended total. When Quebec harmonized its system in 2013, the QST moved to the pre-GST price and the rate was reset to 9.975% so the overall tax burden stayed about the same. It has remained 9.975% ever since.
How do I remove the tax from a total price?
Divide the total by one plus the combined rate for the province: by 1.13 in Ontario, 1.12 in British Columbia, 1.14975 in Quebec or 1.05 in Alberta. The result is the pre-tax price; multiply it by each tax rate to split out the components. Or use the “tax included” mode in the calculator above, which does exactly this.
Which province has the lowest sales tax in Canada?
Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon — all charge only the 5% GST, with no provincial or territorial sales tax at all. The highest combined rates are the 15% HST provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
Do I pay sales tax on groceries in Canada?
Basic groceries — staples such as milk, bread, vegetables, meat and ingredients for cooking at home — are zero-rated, so no GST/HST applies. Prepared food, restaurant meals, snack foods, soft drinks and alcohol are taxable. Provincial PST/RST treatment of food differs slightly by province.
