What will this purchase cost after tax?

The rate depends on the province or territory and the type of transaction. Some provinces use HST, some combine GST with a separate provincial tax, Alberta generally has GST without a provincial sales tax, and Quebec uses GST plus QST.

Multiply the taxable price by the applicable tax rate or rates, then add the tax to the pre-tax amount. A Canadian sales-tax calculator selects the correct tax structure for the province and displays each component separately.

For a normal retailer discount applied before the sale is completed, sales tax is generally calculated on the discounted taxable price. Coupons, rebates and special promotions can have different tax treatment depending on how they are structured.

GST is the federal Goods and Services Tax. HST combines the federal GST component with a participating province’s provincial component into one harmonized tax rate.

No. Quebec applies the federal GST and a separate Quebec Sales Tax (QST/TVQ), rather than HST. A calculator should therefore show both components when estimating tax on a taxable purchase in Quebec.