What taxes do you pay in Canada?

In Canada, you are required to pay both the federal income tax and the provincial (or territorial) income tax of your place of residence.

The federal income tax rate is consistent across the country, but as the name suggests, provincial and territorial rates can vary depending on where you live.

The amount of tax you pay is based on your income for the tax year. The money collected goes toward paying for things like education, health care and other services.

In Canada, you must file taxes if you lived and worked in Canada the previous year.

No matter your income level, if you don’t file your taxes, you will be unable to access various tax credits and benefits. For instance, you won’t be able to take advantage of the Canada child benefit or the GST/HST benefit if you don’t file your federal income tax.

You should also file your taxes if:

  • You are splitting pension income with your spouse or common-law partner
  • You are required to repay all or part of your employment insurance (EI) benefits, your old age security (OAS) benefits, or your Canada recovery benefit (CRB)
  • You have to contribute to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
  • You have self-employment income or other eligible earnings on which you pay EI premiums
  • You have tax credits from things like tuition or investments you want to carry forward to other years

And of course, if the CRA has requested that you file a return, you have to do so.

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What are the federal tax brackets in Canada?

Each year, the income tax brackets change. The changes are due to adjustments that account for inflation and other economic factors.

Here are the tax brackets for the 2024 tax year (for taxes due April 30, 2025):

  • 15% on the first $55,867 of taxable income
  • 20.5% on taxable income over $55,867 up to $111,733
  • 26% on taxable income over $111,733 up to $173,205
  • 29% on taxable income over $173,205 up to $246,752
  • 33% on any taxable income over $246,752

If you made $62,000 in 2024, your federal income tax would look like the following:

  • 15% on the first $55,867, or $8,380.05
  • 20.5% on the next $6,133, or $1,257.26

The total amount of federal tax payable: $9,637.31

What are the provincial and territorial tax brackets in Canada?

In Quebec, you must file two separate returns: one for federal tax and one for provincial. In all other provinces and territories the taxes are submitted together.

Here are the provincial and territorial income tax rates for 2024
Province/Territory Provincial/Territorial Tax Rate
Alberta

10% for up to $148,269

12% for $148,269.01 to $177,922

13% for $177,922.01 to $237,230

14% for $237,230.01 to $355,845

15% for $355,845.01 and up

British Columbia

5.06% for $47,937 or less

7.7% for $47,937 up to $95,875

10.5% for $95,875 up to $110,076

12.29% for $110,076 up to $133,664

14.7% for $133,664 up to $181,232

16.8% for $181,232 up to $252,752

20.5% for $252,752 and over

Manitoba

10.8% for $47,000 or less

12.75% for $47,001 to $100,000

17.4% for $100,000 and over

New Brunswick

9.4% for $49,958 or less

14.00% for $49,958 to $99,916

16.00% for $99,916 to $185,064

19.5% for $185,064 and over

Newfoundland and Labrador

8.7% for $43,198 or less

14.5% for $43,199 to $86,395

15.8% for $86,396 to $154,244

17.8% for $154,245 to $215,943

19.8% for $215,944 to $275,870

20.8% for $275,871 to $551,739

21.3% for $551,740 to $1,103,478

21.8% for more than $1,103,478

Northwest Territories

5.9% for $50,597 or less

8.6% for $50,598 to $101,198

12.2% for $101,199 to $164,525

14.05% for more than $164,525

Nova Scotia

8.79% for up to $29,590

14.95% for $29,590 to $59,180

16.67% for $59,180 to $93,000

17.5% for $93,000 to $150,000

21% for $150,000 and over

Nunavut

4% for $54,706 or less

7% for $54,707 to $109,413

9% for $109,413 to $177,881

11.5% for over $177,881

Ontario

5.05% for $51,446 or less

9.15% for $51,447 to $102,894

11.16% for $102,895 to $150,000

12.16% for $150,001 to $220,000

13.16% for more than $220,000

Prince Edward Island

9.65% for $33,328 or less

13.63% for $33,328 to $64,656

16.65% for $64,656 up to $105,000

18% for $105,000 up to $140,000

18.75 for over $140,000

Quebec

14% for $53,255 or less

19% for $53,255 to $106,495

24% for $106,495 to $129,590

25.75% for $129,590 and over

Saskatchewan

10.5% for $46,773 or less

12.5% for $46,774 to $133,638

14.5% for $133,639 and over

Yukon

6.4% for $55,867 or less

9% for $55,867 up to $111,733

10.9% for $111,733 up to $173,205

12.8% for $173,205 up to $500,000

15% for $500,001 and over

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How to reduce your taxes

The less you have to pay in taxes, the more income you get to hold on to.

There are various ways to reduce the amount you might owe. Everything from RRSP contributions to charitable donations to even medical expenses can be deducted.

One deduction that is automatically applied when you file your taxes is the basic non-refundable tax credit, or personal amount.

The basic personal amount for the 2024 tax year is $15,705. Taxpayers are allowed to claim 15% of their non-refundable tax credits.

Every province and territory has their own tax credits. These can be used to reduce the amount of tax that you might owe, or increase the refund you receive. To find out more about the credits available, consult your province or territory’s website.

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James Battiston Content Specialist

James Battiston has been writing personal finance articles for various websites for the past four years. He has a background in film and TV production, and can often be found consuming far too much coffee.

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