Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
PST in BC is 7%, and it shows up on your receipt as its own line next to the 5% GST. On a $100 purchase that’s $7 of PST and $5 of GST, for a $112 total. You’ll want to know how to check that line, because it’s the one people skim past.
This page is about reading a receipt and checking the PST line. For the wider picture of what’s exempt, see our guide to BC sales tax. Here we start from the paper in your hand.
Where is the PST on a receipt?
Look for two lines, GST and PST. If a receipt shows only GST on an item, it was likely PST-exempt or the seller left it off. A shop that’s required to collect PST should charge 7% of the pre-tax price, and that’s the amount the province expects to see.
Want to check the maths? Multiply the pre-tax price by 0.07. For $240 that’s $16.80. Or use the GST and PST calculator, which shows both parts at once.
Small buys are quicker still. A $30 shirt carries $1.50 of GST and $2.10 of PST, so the tag becomes $33.60. The PST is worked out on the price before tax, never on price plus GST, which is why the two lines don’t affect each other.
How do you check a big receipt in your head?
Shift the decimal and multiply. Say you paid $1,400 before tax for a sofa. Seven percent is $14 times seven, or $98 of PST. GST is $70. Total tax $168, and the bill should read $1,568. If the PST line shows something quite different, the shop may have classed the item another way, so ask. Keep the paper receipt or snap a photo of it, because you’ll want it for returns and warranties anyway.
Why is my receipt a cent off?
Rounding. Take a $47.35 item. Our engine gives GST of $2.37 and PST of $3.31, so tax of $5.68 and a $53.03 total. The unrounded numbers are $2.3675 and $3.3145, and each line rounds on its own. A till may round the other way, or round only the total, and the difference is one cent. Don’t chase it. Ask about it only when the gap is bigger than a cent or two.
What if I only know the total?
Divide by 1.12 to get the price before tax, when both taxes were charged. A $336 total gives $300, with $15 of GST and $21 of PST. The reverse tax calculator does the division and shows the same split.
| Total paid (both taxes) | Price before tax | PST part |
|---|---|---|
| $112.00 | $100.00 | $7.00 |
| $336.00 | $300.00 | $21.00 |
| $1,120.00 | $1,000.00 | $70.00 |
A mixed receipt, line by line
Here’s a case where the 12% shortcut breaks. You spend $1,000 on a laptop and $50 on lunch. The laptop has $50 GST and $70 PST. Lunch has $2.50 GST and no PST, since the BC government lists food for human consumption, restaurant meals included, as exempt. The total tax is $122.50, not the $126 a flat 12% would give.
Our own calculator makes that flat 12% mistake for BC. It can’t separate exempt items, so run taxable lines through it and handle exempt ones yourself at 5%.
Sam in Kelowna can use this table the same way for a repair bill or a pair of boots. What matters is that both taxes sit on the same pre-tax number, so the total is always 12% on a fully taxable line.
Do other provinces charge the same?
No. Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec each run their own provincial tax with their own rates. So don’t reuse BC’s 7% anywhere else. Quebec shoppers can use the GST and QST calculator instead.
Is there PST on online orders?
It can. The BC overview says PST applies when taxable goods, software or services are acquired in BC, and it mentions goods brought into the province too. A seller outside BC may or may not collect it for you. We couldn’t confirm the exact rules for every online purchase, so look at the province’s page for the item in question before you assume nothing is owed.
What if the shop got it wrong?
We can’t tell you what a particular retailer owes. A sensible first step is to ask them to explain the PST line. They might have classed the item differently from how you would. If the answer doesn’t satisfy you, the BC government’s PST contact line is listed on its pages. We haven’t confirmed any process or time limit for refunds, so we won’t guess at one.
Is it worth keeping small receipts?
For a few bucks of coffee, no. For anything you might return, claim on a warranty or deduct as a business cost, yes. Shops can look up a sale from the receipt in seconds, and a photo on your phone is as good as the paper for most of these purposes. We couldn’t confirm any official rule on how long you must keep them for a given purpose, so check with whoever asks.
Where the numbers come from
The 7% rate and the exempt items come from the BC government’s PST pages, and the GST rate and basic groceries rule from the Canada Revenue Agency. We checked these on 30 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does PST stand for in BC?
Provincial sales tax. The standard rate is 7% of the purchase price.
How do I take PST out of a total?
If both GST and PST were charged, divide the total by 1.12. For $112 that gives $100.
Is PST charged on food in BC?
The BC government lists food for human consumption, including restaurant meals, as exempt from PST.
Why does my receipt show GST but no PST?
The item may be PST-exempt. Check the province's exemptions page, or ask the seller.
Does the calculator handle exempt items?
No. It applies 12% to any amount, so treat exempt items as 5% GST only.
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- British Columbia income tax and PST in 2026
How British Columbia income tax works in 2026: seven brackets starting at 5.6%, the tax reduction credit, the 7% PST and the BC calculators