Our guide to QST and GST in Quebec

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Sales tax is a complicated subject in Canada. There are significant differences from province to province.

Did you know that three types of sales taxes exist in Canada? Not only that, but provinces that apply Provincial Sales Tax (PST) even refer to it under different names! Instead of PST, it can also be called Retail Sales Tax (RST) or Quebec Sales Tax/tax de vente du Québec (QST/TVQ). It is no wonder why Canadian sales tax is so confusing!

The guide below will help you to understand how Quebec’s sales tax works, how to use our sales tax calculator, about GST/HST credits and what you need to know if you run a business.

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How do you calculate QST and GST in Quebec?

Are you wondering how to add tax in Quebec? Our sales tax calculator is here to help. Select the sales price. It will add tax for you for where you are. Have a price with sales tax already in it? You can also quickly remove them to see the pre-tax amount.

Different provinces apply taxes at different rates rather than having a single national rate built into prices. This means that some provinces and territories have a sales tax of as little as 5% while others reach 15%. That is a big difference!

What taxes does Quebec apply?

Calculating sales tax in Quebec is easy. Quebec applies 9.975% QST and 5% GST to most purchases, meaning a 14.975% total sales tax rate. QST stands for Quebec Sales Tax. It is Quebec's name for the Provincial Sales Tax that is applied in several other provinces. GST stands for General Sales Tax.

As a majority French-speaking province, you may come across Quebec's sales tax names and abbreviations in French while travelling their or doing business with a company based there. QST and GST may be referred to as taxe de cente du Québec (TVQ) and taxe sur les produits et services (TPS) respectively.

Type of taxes

GST

QSTTotal tax rate
GST + QST

9,98%

5%14,98%
Sales tax in Quebec

Here is an example of how Quebec applies sales tax:

$100 + (QST 9.975% + 5% GST) = $114.97 total

What sales tax do I charge for out-of-province sales?

The sales tax charged to out-of-province customers depends on where you supply the product or service.

If your customer buys a product or service while physically in your business, apply the appropriate provincial taxes. The calculator above it can help you to calculate Quebec'sQST and GST. If you deliver your product to them in their province or territory, you must charge sales tax based on their provincial taxes.

What taxes do I need to register for in Quebec?

In Quebec most businesses must register for QST and GST/HST.

For more information on registering for QST and GST/HST see: https://www.revenuquebec.ca/documents/en/publications/in/IN-202-V%282021-11%29.pdf

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For more information on registering for GST/HST see:

Good to know

Note that small businesses that have not exceeded $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters are considered small suppliers and may be exempt from registering for GST/HST.

What is the GST/HST tax credit in Quebec?

The GST/HST credit is a quarterly payment given to low and moderate-income individuals to offset the sales taxes they pay. It is paid out four times per year on:

  • January 5th
  • April 5th
  • July 5th
  • October 5th

This tax-free credit starts at $299. There is an additional credit of $157 if a family’s net income is more than $9,686. After $38,892 net income, the credit is gradually reduced until it disappears.

See the guide below for specifics in Quebec:

Good to know

For more information see our guide to sales tax in Canada.

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Nishadh Mohammed
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Nishadh Mohammed is a seasoned news editor and financial writer, working with HelloSafe since May 2023. Nishadh has developed expertise in financial markets, insurance, and investment products, with a deep understanding of the Canadian financial landscape. He has honed his SEO skills and content marketing strategies while writing for Canadian publishing houses. Armed with a master's in Business Analytics and extensive journalistic experience, Nishadh uniquely combines data proficiency and thorough research to deliver comprehensive and accessible information.