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Tax in BC for 2026 starts at 5.6% on the first $50,363 of taxable income and climbs to 20.5% above $265,545. On an $80,000 salary, the calculator puts total federal and BC income tax at $13,273.52, about $854 less than the same salary would pay in Ontario.
What are the BC tax brackets for 2026?
British Columbia lists seven brackets on its own government page. You pay each rate only on the slice of taxable income inside that bracket, and federal tax comes on top.
| Taxable income | BC rate |
|---|---|
| $0 to $50,363 | 5.6% |
| $50,363 to $100,728 | 7.7% |
| $100,728 to $115,648 | 10.5% |
| $115,648 to $140,430 | 12.29% |
| $140,430 to $190,405 | 14.7% |
| $190,405 to $265,545 | 16.8% |
| Over $265,545 | 20.5% |
Two things changed recently. The brackets rose 2.2% for 2026, matching BC’s inflation figure. And the province says its budget paused that indexation for the 2027 to 2030 tax years, so the lines in this table are meant to stay put for a while. If you’ve seen a lowest rate of 5.06% somewhere, that’s the 2025 figure.
Here’s how the first three slices work on $105,000 of taxable income, before credits. The first $50,363 at 5.6% is about $2,820.33. The next $50,365, up to $100,728, at 7.7% is about $3,878.11. The last $4,272 at 10.5% is $448.56. That adds to roughly $7,147 of BC tax. The federal slice at 20.5% on top of 10.5% puts your next dollar at 31.0%.
How does BC compare with Ontario on the same pay?
Both come out of the income tax calculator, single employee, salary only, 2026 rates.
| Salary | BC total tax | Ontario total tax |
|---|---|---|
| $70,000 | $10,572.03 | $11,133.91 |
| $80,000 | $13,273.52 | $14,127.85 |
| $120,000 | $25,163.45 | $26,887.71 |
The $854 gap at $80,000 works out to about $71 a month. Not nothing, though a move to BC would bring other costs that this table doesn’t show.
BC comes out lower at all three. The federal part is identical, $9,242.60 at $80,000, so the whole gap sits in the provincial line: $4,030.92 in BC against $4,885.26 in Ontario. Ontario’s figure includes its health premium. That doesn’t make BC cheaper for everyone. These are income tax only, so sales tax, property tax and housing costs sit outside the comparison.
What is your BC rate on the next dollar?
It isn’t the top number in the table. At $60,000 the marginal tax rate calculator would show your rate on an extra dollar as the BC 7.7% slice plus the 20.5% federal one, or close to 28.2%. Above $100,728 the BC slice jumps to 10.5%.
That’s worth knowing before you count on a raise. If a $5,000 bump carries you across the $100,728 line, only the dollars above it get the higher rate. The ones below stay where they were.
How much do you keep on $80,000 in BC?
Income tax isn’t the whole deduction. On $80,000 the calculator adds CPP of $4,446.45 and EI of $1,123.07 to the $13,273.52 of tax. That leaves $61,156.96 for the year, or roughly $5,096 a month before any benefits, pension or union dues come off.
The federal slice is the bigger piece here, $9,242.60 against $4,030.92 for BC. People often blame the province for a heavy bill when Ottawa is taking twice as much. The take-home pay calculator turns those yearly figures into a pay-period amount.
Can an RRSP shrink your BC bill?
Yes, and by a fair amount. On $80,000 in BC, a $5,000 RRSP contribution takes taxable income from $79,073 to $74,073 and total tax from $13,273.52 to $11,863.52. That’s $1,410.00 back. The RRSP calculator lets you try other amounts, and it’s a good bet for anyone sitting just above a bracket line.
Who counts as a BC resident for the year?
It comes down to where you lived at the end of the year, December 31. Sam moves from Calgary to Kamloops in November and files as a BC resident for the full 2026 year. That means every dollar earned in the year is run through BC’s table rather than Alberta’s, so a move late in the year can change the bill a good deal, in either direction. It’s worth running the estimate before you pack the truck.
Mistakes to avoid when you estimate BC tax
Using last year’s brackets is the classic one. The lowest rate went from 5.06% to 5.6% and the thresholds moved, so a 2025 table gives you a wrong answer that looks right.
The second is treating credits as if they were deductions. The tax credits calculator works on federal credits only, so it won’t show BC’s own credits. We couldn’t confirm the size of every BC credit for 2026, and CRA payroll tables and the BC budget have shown different figures for some items, so we left them out.
Third, moving. The CRA ties the provincial rates to where you lived on December 31, so a late-December move to BC puts your whole year on BC’s table.
Where we got these figures
The brackets and the indexation note are from the Province of British Columbia’s personal income tax rates page, and the federal rates from the Canada Revenue Agency‘s 2026 rates page. Tax figures come from this site’s calculators. They’re estimates, not a return, and we’re not linked with either government.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lowest BC tax rate in 2026?
5.6% on taxable income up to $50,363, according to the BC government's rates page. The 2025 rate was 5.06%.
What is the top BC tax rate?
20.5% on taxable income over $265,545 for 2026.
Does BC index its tax brackets?
The 2026 brackets rose 2.2%. The province says its budget paused indexation for 2027 to 2030.
Do I pay federal tax as well as BC tax?
Yes. Federal tax is calculated separately and added to the BC amount on the same return.
Which province sets my rates?
The one you lived in on December 31 of the tax year.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill
- 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