What are GST, HST and PST?

GST, or Goods and Services Tax, is a tax that you pay on most goods and services sold or provided in Canada. The current rate of GST is 5%. GST is in effect in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, and is remitted to Agents at closing. 

Alongside the GST for Saskatchewan, a Provincial Sales Tax, or PST, of 6% applies to the listing representation side-only, and is remitted by Real (not Agents).

HST, or Harmonized Sales Tax, combines the federal GST with a Provincial Sales Tax (PST), which is a tax levied by individual provinces. The current rate of HST is 13% (5% GST + 8% PST). HST is in effect only in Ontario and remitted to Agents at closing.

Your GST/HST number is a unique identifier issued by the CRA that identifies businesses registered to collect and remit GST in Canada. If you do not have a GST/HST number, you can get one online on the Government of Canada website here. 

Real pays out the taxable income, and Agents are responsible for remitting their GST/HST with the CRA (Agents do not need to register or handle PST if in Saskatchewan). 

The GST/HST is not the same as a business number (please visit What is a BN? for more information on Business Numbers).

Need to set up your tax information? Go to: How to complete payment and tax set up. 

Need to edit your tax information? Go to: How to edit tax and payment set up.