Free tool · Reverse tax
Pull the tax back out of a total
Got paid a round number, or quoted a price with the tax baked in? Enter the total, pick the province, and see what the job was worth before tax.
In British Columbia, PST often does not apply to labour on a repair or a build. Untick it if the total you were paid only had GST in it.
- Amount before tax
- $892.86
- GST 5%
- $44.64
- PST 7%
- $62.50
This tool works out GST and HST, and the provincial sales tax in the four provinces that charge one. Whether that provincial tax lands on your labour depends on the trade and the job, so check with the province. It is a calculator, not tax advice.
GST, HST, and PST by province and territory
The rate you charge depends on where the work is done, not where your business is registered. That is the CRA place of supply rule.
| Province or territory | Tax | GST or HST | Provincial tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | GST | 5% | 0% |
| British Columbia | GST | 5% | PST 7% |
| Manitoba | GST | 5% | RST 7% |
| New Brunswick | HST | 15% | N/A |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | HST | 15% | N/A |
| Northwest Territories | GST | 5% | 0% |
| Nova Scotia | HST | 14% | N/A |
| Nunavut | GST | 5% | 0% |
| Ontario | HST | 13% | N/A |
| Prince Edward Island | HST | 15% | N/A |
| Quebec | GST | 5% | QST 9.975% |
| Saskatchewan | GST | 5% | PST 6% |
| Yukon | GST | 5% | 0% |
Rates checked against the Canada Revenue Agency in August 2026. See the CRA rate page
Charge the rate for the place of supply
The place of supply is where the sale actually happens, and it sets the rate. The CRA's own example: a Winnipeg shop selling a laptop to a customer in Halifax charges 14% Nova Scotia HST if it delivers there, but 5% GST plus Manitoba's 7% if the customer picks it up in Winnipeg.
Work out the GST on the price before PST
Where a province charges its own sales tax, GST and that tax both apply to the pre-tax price. You do not charge tax on tax, so never add the PST first and then take 5% of the bigger number.
Some supplies are zero-rated everywhere
A zero-rated supply is taxed at 0% GST/HST right across Canada. Basic groceries are the usual example. Whether your work is taxable, exempt, or zero-rated depends on the type of supply, not the province.
Nova Scotia dropped to 14% on 1 April 2025
Nova Scotia cut the provincial part of its HST, taking the total rate from 15% to 14%. Plenty of older rate charts still show 15%, so check before you send a Nova Scotia invoice.
GST/HST rates since 1 April 2013
| Province or territory | On or after 1 Apr 2025 | 1 Oct 2016 to 31 Mar 2025 | 1 Jul 2016 to 30 Sep 2016 | 1 Apr 2013 to 30 Jun 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| British Columbia | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Manitoba | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| New Brunswick | 15% | 15% | 13% | 13% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 15% | 15% | 15% | 13% |
| Northwest Territories | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Nova Scotia | 14% | 15% | 15% | 15% |
| Nunavut | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Ontario | 13% | 13% | 13% | 13% |
| Prince Edward Island | 15% | 15% | 14% | 14% |
| Quebec | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Saskatchewan | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Yukon | 5% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
Use the rate that was in force on the invoice date, not today's rate.
Questions about backing tax out of a total
Divide the total by 1 plus the rate. On a $1,130 Ontario job at 13% HST, $1,130 divided by 1.13 gives $1,000 before tax, so the HST is $130. This tool does that for you, including the provinces that stack PST on top of GST.
Because the tax was worked out on the smaller pre-tax amount, not on the total. Taking 13% of $1,130 gives $146.90, which is $16.90 too much. You have to divide, not multiply. That is the whole reason a reverse calculator exists.
Any time the tax is already inside the number. You quoted a flat all-in price, a customer paid a round figure, a supplier receipt shows only a total, or you are filing a return and need the tax you actually collected.
In those provinces both the 5% GST and the provincial tax were charged on the same pre-tax amount, so the total carries both. The calculator divides by 1 plus both rates added together. If the job was labour only and no provincial tax was charged, untick it.
If you are registered for GST/HST, you can generally claim the GST or HST you paid on business purchases as an input tax credit. You need the supplier's invoice showing the tax. Provincial sales tax works differently and usually is not recoverable the same way.
The math runs on the full number and only rounds when it shows you the result, so the parts always add back up to the total you typed. Quebec's 9.975% QST is the case where a rounded shortcut drifts by a cent or two.