Sales tax in British Columbia
At a glance
| Total sales tax | 12 % |
|---|---|
| Taxes | GST (5 %) plus PST (7 %). |
| Local taxes | None. Canada has no city or county sales taxes, so the rate is the same everywhere in British Columbia. |
Example
An item with a CA$100 tag costs CA$112.00 with tax. Tax: GST CA$5.00, PST CA$7.00.
Food and drink
| Basic groceries | Zero-rated: no sales tax |
|---|---|
| Prepared food and restaurants | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Candy and snacks | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Soft drinks | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Alcohol | Taxed at the regular rate * |
| Over-the-counter medicine | Taxed at the regular rate * |
* The real rule can depend on details a price tag does not show, for example the kind of product, packaging or whether it is served hot. Summalo uses the general rate and says so. Treat it as an estimate; the receipt is what counts.
Clothing and shoes
Adult clothing and shoes are taxed like most other goods. Some provinces ease the provincial part for children's clothing and shoes; Summalo does not model that yet, so a children's item can cost a little less than shown.
Tax-free days
Summalo knows of no regular sales tax holidays in Canada.
Official sources
- www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/charge-collect-which-rate/calculator.html
- www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/taxes/sales-taxes/pst
Rules as of 2026-10-15. These pages summarise the rules Summalo uses. They are estimates, not tax advice. At the register, the store's receipt is what counts.
In Summalo, switch on Canada under Settings, then Extras. It shows each tax on its own line, in Canadian dollars (CA$), and can convert to your currency with the ECB rate.