The quick answer
Ontario’s Harmonized Sales Tax is 13%. On a $1,000 price that is $130.00 of tax, so you pay $1,130.00 at the till.
Step by step
- Start with the price before tax: $1,000.00.
- Multiply by 13%: $1,000 × 0.13 = $130.00.
- Add it on: $1,000 + $130 = $1,130.00.
Behind the scenes the 13% is two taxes collected together: the 5% federal GST ($50.00) and the 8% Ontario portion ($80.00). You only see one line, “HST”, on your receipt, and the store sends it all to the CRA.
Ontario HST on common amounts
| Price before tax | HST (13%) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $50.00 | $6.50 | $56.50 |
| $100.00 | $13.00 | $113.00 |
| $250.00 | $32.50 | $282.50 |
| $500.00 | $65.00 | $565.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $130.00 | $1,130.00 |
| $1,500.00 | $195.00 | $1,695.00 |
| $2,000.00 | $260.00 | $2,260.00 |
| $5,000.00 | $650.00 | $5,650.00 |
| $10,000.00 | $1,300.00 | $11,300.00 |
Things that are not charged the full 13%
- Basic groceries (milk, bread, vegetables, meat), prescription drugs and many medical devices are zero-rated: no HST at all.
- Children’s clothing and footwear, children’s car seats, diapers, printed books and newspapers get an Ontario point-of-sale rebate of the 8% part, so you pay only 5%.
- Prepared food under $4 (a coffee and a muffin, for example) also gets the 8% rebate.
- Residential rent is exempt.
Going backwards from a receipt
If you only know the total, divide by 1.13. A $1,130 receipt ÷ 1.13 = $1,000 before tax. Do not subtract 13% of the total — that gives $983.10, which is too low. Switch the calculator to “Total incl. tax” to do it for you.
Self-employed or running a small business? Once your taxable sales pass $30,000 over four quarters you must register for GST/HST and charge the 13% to Ontario customers; you can then claim back the HST you pay on business costs as input tax credits.
Quick reference: sales tax mistakes to avoid
- Subtracting the rate from a total. Always divide by 1 + rate to go backwards.
- Using your home province for online orders. Tax follows the delivery address, not where you or the seller live.
- Adding PST on top of GST-included prices. In B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec both taxes are calculated on the pre-tax price, never one on top of the other.
- Forgetting zero-rated items. A grocery receipt often mixes taxable snacks with tax-free basics, so the total tax is rarely a neat 13%.
- Rounding item by item. Stores calculate tax on the receipt subtotal, so your own sum can differ by a cent.
For small businesses and freelancers
You must register for a GST/HST account once your worldwide taxable sales pass $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over four consecutive quarters (the “small supplier” limit). Before that, registering is optional — some freelancers register early so they can claim back the GST/HST they pay on equipment and software. Once registered, you charge the rate of the customer’s province, file returns (annually, quarterly or monthly) and keep receipts for six years. Quebec businesses also register for the QST with Revenu Québec, and B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba each have their own PST registration rules.
Rates in this guide were checked against the CRA’s GST/HST rate table on 5 November 2026; provincial budgets can change PST rates, usually with a few weeks’ notice.
FAQ
How much is 13% HST on $1,000?
$130.00, for a total of $1,130.00. $50 is the federal GST part and $80 the Ontario part.
How much is $1,130 before tax in Ontario?
$1,130 ÷ 1.13 = $1,000.00 before tax.
What is HST on $500 in Ontario?
$65.00, for a total of $565.00.
Sources (checked 5 November 2026): Canada Revenue Agency, “GST/HST provincial rates table” (canada.ca, 13% Ontario, 14% Nova Scotia from April 1, 2025, 15% NB/NL/PE); Revenu Québec, QST rate 9.975%; B.C. Ministry of Finance, PST 7%; Saskatchewan PST 6%; Manitoba RST 7%; cross-checked with TaxTips.ca “2026 sales tax rates” (revised Aug 28, 2026).