What provincial sales tax does to the price you actually pay
Sticker prices in Canada are quoted before tax. That’s fine when you’re comparing two listings in the same province — but the moment you compare a price at one retailer against another, or read a “lowest price in Canada” claim, the tax you’ll actually be charged is doing a lot of invisible work.
Federal GST is 5% everywhere. On top of that, provinces either add their own PST (or Quebec’s QST), or fold both together into a single HST. The combined rate ranges from 5% to just under 15%.
Combined sales-tax rate by province (2026)
| Province / territory | Makeup | Combined |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | GST only | 5% |
| NWT · Nunavut · Yukon | GST only | 5% |
| Saskatchewan | 5% GST + 6% PST | 11% |
| British Columbia | 5% GST + 7% PST | 12% |
| Manitoba | 5% GST + 7% PST | 12% |
| Ontario | HST | 13% |
| Nova Scotia | HST | 14% |
| New Brunswick · Newfoundland & Labrador · PEI | HST | 15% |
| Quebec | 5% GST + 9.975% QST | 14.975% |
Nova Scotia dropped its HST from 15% to 14% on 1 April 2025 — a reminder that these rates do change, and a comparison that hard-codes an old rate quietly gets it wrong.
A worked example
Say a laptop is listed at $1,499.00 with free shipping. Here’s the total at the till:
| Province | Tax added | You pay |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta (5%) | $74.95 | $1,573.95 |
| British Columbia (12%) | $179.88 | $1,678.88 |
| Ontario (13%) | $194.87 | $1,693.87 |
| Quebec (14.975%) | $224.48 | $1,723.48 |
| New Brunswick (15%) | $224.85 | $1,723.85 |
That’s a ~$150 spread on the same laptop, entirely from tax. A retailer that’s $40 cheaper on the sticker but ships from a province that charges you more tax can end up costing you more — and a flat “$1,499” price tells you none of that.
Two things people get wrong
- Quebec isn’t “tax on tax”. Since 2013 the QST is calculated on the pre-GST amount, so Quebec’s rate is simply 5% + 9.975% = 14.975%, added to the price — not compounded.
- Shipping can be taxable too. When a retailer charges for delivery, that shipping fee is generally taxed at the same rate as the item. A “free shipping” listing and a “$1,449 + $25 shipping” listing aren’t $25 apart — they’re $25 plus tax on that $25 apart.
What to do about it
When you compare prices, compare the all-in total for your own province: sticker + shipping + the combined tax rate above. That’s the number you’ll actually be charged, and it’s the only fair basis for “which is cheaper”. It’s also exactly what PriceBeaver is built to show — pick your province once and every listing is ranked by its real landed cost.
← All guidesGeneral information only, not tax advice. Rates are the standard combined GST/HST/PST/QST for consumer goods and can change; verify current rates with the CRA or your provincial revenue agency. Some goods and buyers qualify for rebates or exemptions not covered here.