30
Taxes and tips
What is the tax rate?
Most goods and services in Quebec are subject
to two taxes, a federal Goods and Services Tax
of 5% (usually listed as TPS on receipts – Taxe sur
les produits et services) and a provincial sales tax
of 9.975% (TVQ on receipts – Taxe de vente du
Québec). Note that the tax is not included on
a given price tag.
Most food items are not taxed at all unless
something counts as ready-to-eat. Almost
everything else is taxable.
Do I need to tip?
A tip of 15% is customarily left for waiters and
waitresses at the table, calculated on the pre-tax
total of your bill. It will not be calculated for you
– the additional charges on a restaurant bill are
taxes, not service charges, and are not voluntary.
You are free to leave more or less than a 15% tip
if circumstances warrant. In bars, the tip tends
to be offered as you pay for each drink or round.
Taxi drivers also normally get a tip of 10 to 15%
as do those who render personal services such
as haircuts.
