Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
There is no tax free Canada tourist refund today. The CRA states that a non-resident visitor to Canada cannot claim a rebate of the GST/HST paid on purchases made here. News reports date the end of the old visitor rebate to 2007 (the CRA page doesn’t give a date). Either way, the tax on your receipt stays paid.
Can tourists still get a GST or HST refund?
No, not for ordinary shopping or hotel nights. The CRA’s page on rebates for foreign conventions says it in one line:
If you are a non-resident visitor to Canada, you cannot claim a rebate of the GST/HST that you paid for purchases made in Canada.
GST/HST rebate for sponsors of foreign conventions, organizers and non-resident exhibitors, canada.ca
That’s the official word. A site, app or shop sign that promises a tourist tax refund on a normal purchase deserves a hard look. Ask which rule it relies on, then check that against the CRA.
The rebate that does exist has a narrow target. It’s for sponsors and organizers of foreign conventions held in Canada, and for non-resident exhibitors at them. Exhibitors can recover GST/HST on convention supplies and on hotel nights used only for the event, which is a long way from a tourist buying souvenirs, a jacket or a week in a rented cottage. The CRA’s own example shows six nights tied to setup and teardown qualifying, while four extra nights afterward don’t. A holiday doesn’t fit.
We didn’t verify anything about duty-free shops, which follow a separate set of customs rules. We also didn’t check Quebec’s provincial refund options. If a shop says a purchase is tax free for visitors, ask what the tax on the receipt is and why.
What tax will a visitor actually pay?
Province matters, because the rate is either one harmonized tax or 5% GST plus a provincial tax. The table shows the total on a $100 purchase that is fully taxable. Some goods carry less or none. We haven’t listed which, since a full list didn’t come from the sources we checked, and shops apply the rules item by item.
| Province or territory | Sales tax | Total on $100 |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut | 5% GST | $105.00 |
| British Columbia | 5% GST plus 7% PST | $112.00 |
| Saskatchewan | 5% GST plus 6% PST | $111.00 |
| Ontario | 13% HST | $113.00 |
| Nova Scotia | 14% HST | $114.00 |
| New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, PEI | 15% HST | $115.00 |
Manitoba (7% retail sales tax) and Quebec (9.975% QST) are missing on purpose. We couldn’t confirm the 2026 figures on the official pages we could open, so look them up before you rely on them. Rates and rules move, and the HST in Nova Scotia only fell to 14% in April 2025.
What does a trip cost after tax?
Say a visitor buys a $400 jacket in Toronto and an identical $400 jacket in Calgary. In Ontario the total is $452, with $52 of HST. In Alberta it’s $420, with $20 of GST. The gap is $32. Nothing comes back at the airport either way.
The same goes for small stuff. A souvenir tin of maple cookies at $12.00 in Alberta is $12.60 at the till, and in Halifax it’s $13.68. A few bucks across a whole trip adds up, so budget on the receipt total, not the shelf price.
Try your own purchase in the GST and PST calculator, but note that it applies 12% to everything in BC, so restaurant meals and other items with a lower rate will come out too high. For Ontario or the Atlantic provinces, the reverse HST calculator strips the tax out of a price you’ve already paid. Quebec shoppers can use the GST and QST calculator.
Hotels are taxed too
Short-term accommodation in Canada is generally taxable. The CRA sets one narrow exception, for rooms rented at $20 or less a day. So a $200 room in New Brunswick costs $230 with 15% HST, and in Ontario $226 before any city accommodation charge. Some cities add their own charge on top. Toronto’s is 6% of the room price, and HST applies to that portion too, according to the city.
A tour package is treated as a single supply for tax, and if it mixes 5% and 15% items the cost is split to work out the right tax. That matters if your package includes flights inside Canada plus lodging.
Where visitors get caught out
The big one is planning around a refund that no longer exists. Old travel advice may still mention it. Another is comparing a shelf price with a receipt and thinking the store made a mistake. Shelf prices are usually shown before sales tax, so the total at the till runs higher.
Canadians also ask this question when they travel between provinces. The answer is the same: you pay the tax of the province where you buy, and no rebate follows you home. Residents planning a big purchase, like a new house, do have a genuine rebate to look at. The new home GST/HST rebate calculator covers it.
What if you’re visiting for work?
Business travellers don’t get a general refund either. The convention rebate is for the event’s sponsors, organizers and exhibitors, and the CRA says non-resident attendees aren’t entitled to claim back the tax on their own hotel stay. If your company is sending you, ask its accountant whether any of it can be recovered on the company side.
Our sources
The statement that visitors cannot claim a GST/HST rebate is from the CRA‘s page on the foreign convention and exhibitor rebate. The rules on short-term accommodation and tour packages come from the CRA’s guidance for the travel and convention industry. Provincial rates are from the CRA rate table, and the Toronto charge is from the City of Toronto. The dollar examples are our own arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
Can tourists get a GST/HST refund in Canada?
No. The CRA states that a non-resident visitor cannot claim a rebate of the GST/HST paid on purchases made in Canada.
When did the visitor rebate end?
News reports date it to 2007. We couldn't find an end date on the CRA page, which says only that visitors can't claim it.
Who can still claim a GST/HST rebate as a non-resident?
Sponsors and organizers of foreign conventions and non-resident exhibitors can, for eligible convention costs.
Do hotel stays carry sales tax for visitors?
Yes, short-term accommodation is generally taxable. Cities such as Toronto add an accommodation charge on top.
Is anything tax free for tourists at the airport?
We couldn't verify the duty-free rules, so check with the shop and the border agency.
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