Canadian invoices with GST, HST or PST for your province
In Canada the tax on your invoice depends on the province. WhizInvoice starts you on 5% GST in Canadian dollars with ISO dates and Letter paper, and you set the HST or provincial tax that applies to your work.
One country, several sales taxes
The federal GST is 5%. Five provinces combine it with their provincial tax into a single harmonised sales tax, HST: 13% in Ontario, 14% in Nova Scotia, and 15% in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island.
Four provinces keep a separate provincial tax alongside the 5% GST: provincial sales tax of 7% in British Columbia and Manitoba and 6% in Saskatchewan, and the Quebec sales tax (QST) of 9.975%. Alberta and the three territories charge GST only.
When you work across provincial lines, place of supply rules decide which rate applies, and provincial taxes cover different services in each province. Check CRA’s guidance, or your province, before invoicing a customer outside your home province.
Canadian sales tax at a glance
- GST
- 5% across Canada
- HST
- 13% Ontario, 14% Nova Scotia, 15% New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island
- Provincial tax on top of GST
- PST 7% British Columbia, 7% Manitoba, 6% Saskatchewan. QST 9.975% Quebec. Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut charge GST only.
- Small supplier threshold
- Register once your worldwide taxable revenue, with associates, is over $30,000 in a single calendar quarter or over the last four quarters. Taxi and commercial ride-sharing drivers register regardless.
- Invoices under $100
- Your business or trading name, the invoice date and the total amount.
- Invoices of $100 to $499.99
- Also your GST/HST registration number, the GST/HST charged or a statement that the total includes it, and which items are taxable or exempt.
- Invoices of $500 or more
- Also the buyer’s name, a brief description of the goods or services, and the terms of payment.
- Tax number label
- GST/HST registration number. Quebec registrants also show their QST number from $100.
- Currency
- Canadian dollar, CAD ($)
- Date format
- YYYY-MM-DD in the WhizInvoice preset, which avoids day and month mix ups. Switch to DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YYYY if your customers prefer.
- Paper size
- US Letter
- E-invoicing
- No special invoice format is imposed under the GST/HST and QST systems, apart from mandatory billing for restaurants and taxis in Quebec.
Sources: Canada Revenue Agency (GST/HST rates, input tax credit information requirements and guide RC4022) and Revenu Québec (calculating the taxes and preparing invoices), checked October 2026.
How WhizInvoice handles Canadian tax
Choose Canada in Settings and the federal basics are filled in. Then make one change for your province.
The Canada preset
Canadian dollars, GST at 5%, the GST/HST number label, YYYY-MM-DD dates and Letter paper, set in one step.
Set your province once
In Ontario or an Atlantic province, rename the tax HST and set 13%, 14% or 15% in your tax settings. Every new invoice then uses it.
Your registration number up front
Your GST/HST number prints under your business name on every invoice, which covers the $100 rule from the first sale.
Terms on every invoice
Payment terms and the customer’s name print on each invoice, so anything over $500 already has what a registered customer needs.
E-Transfer or card
Put your Interac e-Transfer email or bank details in your payment instructions, or add your own Stripe, PayPal or Square link.
Tax collected for your return
On the Business plan, reports show the tax you collected, ready for your GST/HST return or your bookkeeper.
An Ontario job with HST
Renovation work for a homeowner in Ontario, where HST at 13% replaces the GST. The total is over $500, so the buyer’s name, a description and the payment terms are all on it.
Example only, with a fictional business and customer. Your invoices use your own details, tax settings and design.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basement drywall repair, tape and finish | 1 | $1,280.00 | $1,280.00 |
| Interior painting, two rooms, two coats | 1 | $860.00 | $860.00 |
| Debris removal and disposal | 1 | $140.00 | $140.00 |
Registering, and when the $30,000 test bites
You are a small supplier, and do not have to register, while your worldwide taxable revenue, together with any associates, stays at $30,000 or less in a single calendar quarter and over the last four. Once it goes over $30,000 in one quarter, or over the last four quarters together, you must register. CRA’s guide RC4022 explains exactly when you start collecting in each case.
Registering voluntarily is allowed while you are under the threshold. Until you register you do not charge GST/HST, so switch off tax registration in WhizInvoice and your invoices go out with no tax.
Good to know
Do I charge GST or HST?
In Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island you charge HST, which already includes the GST. Elsewhere you charge 5% GST, plus PST or QST where those apply to your service.
Do I need to register if I earn under $30,000?
No. While your taxable revenue stays at $30,000 or less in each calendar quarter and over the last four, you are a small supplier and registration is optional.
What must an invoice of $500 or more show?
Your name, the date and the total, your GST/HST registration number, the tax charged or a statement that it is included, plus the buyer’s name, a brief description and the terms of payment.
Can I show Quebec tax as 14.975%?
No. Revenu Québec says the 9.97%, 14.97% and 14.975% rates must not appear on the document. Show GST at 5% and QST at 9.975% instead.
Does WhizInvoice file my GST/HST return?
No. It keeps your invoices and the tax on them in order, and on the Business plan reports show the tax you collected, so your return is easier for you or your bookkeeper to prepare.
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