moreMontreal eGuide, Sales taxes and refunds

• About this guide
• About Montreal
• Preparing your trip to Montreal (1)
• How to get to Montreal (2)
• What you must know once here (3)
•• What you shouldn't miss
•• Everything you must know
•• How to get around
•• Where to get more free information
• What you must do before leaving (4)

Montreal restaurants, hotels, bars, museums and much more.

From Old Montreal to the Plateau and Chinatown, all the information in this guide divided by neighbourhood with maps.

• Street maps
• Public transit
• Consulates (ambassies)
• Weather

Sales taxes and refunds

There's are two taxes applicable on most things you buy : the GST (TPS in French) which is the federal sales tax (6% of the bill's total) and the TVQ (in French or PST or HST in English.) which is the provincial sales tax (6.5% of the bill's total plus the GST, so the GST is in fact taxed itself). Most advertised prices do not include either taxes (so you have to add it up in your mind). Not all items are taxed, food bought at grocery stores are not taxed (unless you can eat them "on the spot" like chips or candy).

If you are a visitor from outside Canada, you can have the GST refunded on certain items but only if they are intended to be used when you return (so the GST on meals are not refundable for example) and there's a minimal purchase of $50 CDN on each receipt. There's also a refund on accommodations as long as you stay less than a month (there's a minimum of $200 CDN). And your total purchases have to be at least 200$. There's even more criteria... so you should visit the Revenue Canada web site for more information on GST refund and how to get it. So remember to keep your receipts!

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Last update: 03/05/2008