Compare Canadian Provincial Income Taxes
Run one income through every province and territory for 2026 and rank the tax. Plus a three-salary table and how sales tax changes the answer.
Want this number lower?
The Lower My Tax report takes these numbers, tests every legal way to cut the bill, and shows the saving of each in dollars, with what to do and by when.
The short version
- Enter your income once and the calculator taxes it in every province and territory except Quebec, for 2026, and ranks them from lowest to highest.
- On a $100,000 salary, income tax ranges from about $17,580 in Nunavut to about $25,360 in Nova Scotia: a gap of nearly $7,800 a year for the same paycheque.
- Among the provinces, B.C. and Alberta are lowest at most incomes; Nova Scotia, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador are highest.
- Income tax is only part of the picture. Sales tax runs from 5% in Alberta and the territories to 15% in the Atlantic provinces, and housing costs swamp both.
- Your province for the whole year is the one you live in on December 31.
Compare Canadian Provincial Income Taxes
Every few years someone at a barbecue announces they're moving to Alberta "for the taxes". This calculator is for checking that claim before the moving truck is booked. It runs the same income through each province's 2026 brackets, credits, surtaxes and health premiums, adds federal tax, and lines them up. The answer is usually smaller than the barbecue version, and occasionally bigger.
2026 Income Tax by Province: Three Salaries
| Province or territory | $50,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | $5,056 | $17,577 | $52,333 |
| British Columbia | $5,844 | $18,857 | $57,956 |
| Northwest Territories | $5,650 | $19,026 | $57,035 |
| Yukon | $5,807 | $19,232 | $55,717 |
| Alberta | $5,877 | $19,772 | $56,377 |
| Ontario | $6,273 | $20,024 | $62,952 |
| Saskatchewan | $6,719 | $21,943 | $60,879 |
| Manitoba | $7,344 | $22,786 | $65,708 |
| New Brunswick | $7,064 | $23,016 | $64,650 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $7,166 | $23,628 | $65,789 |
| Prince Edward Island | $7,589 | $24,441 | $68,332 |
| Nova Scotia | $8,159 | $25,363 | $69,900 |
Federal plus provincial income tax on employment income, basic credits only, sorted by the $100,000 column. CPP and EI are the same everywhere outside Quebec, so they don't change the ranking. The order shifts with income: Ontario is mid-pack at $100,000 but near the bottom at $200,000 once its surtax kicks in. Province detail: Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and the summary on provincial taxes.
Thinking about moving provinces?
Tell the assistant your income, family, and the two places you're choosing between. It compares income tax, sales tax, benefits and child credits, and shows the real yearly difference.
What the Calculator Counts, and What It Doesn't
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Federal and provincial brackets and basic personal amounts for 2026 | Quebec, which has its own return and abatement |
| Ontario surtax and Health Premium, provincial low-income reductions where built into the rules | Credits that depend on family, rent or age, unless you use the full calculators |
| CPP, CPP2 and EI on wages; both halves of CPP on self-employment | Sales tax, property tax, car insurance, child care costs |
| Capital gains at 50% inclusion, RRSP deduction | Benefits such as the Canada child benefit and provincial family benefits |
For one province in depth, use the income tax calculator; for take-home pay per cheque, the salary calculator.
Sales Tax Changes the Answer
Income tax is what you pay on what you earn; sales tax is what you pay on what you spend, and most people spend most of what they earn. Alberta and the three territories charge only the 5% GST. B.C., Saskatchewan and Manitoba add a separate PST of 7%, 6% and 7%. Ontario's HST is 13%, and the Atlantic provinces are at 15%, except Nova Scotia at 14%. On $40,000 of taxable spending, the gap between 5% and 15% is $4,000 a year, which can be bigger than the income tax gap. Rates: sales tax by province.
Moving Provinces: Tax Rules
- December 31 decides. You pay the provincial tax of where you live on December 31, for the whole year. Self-employed people with a business in another province split income by permanent establishment.
- Moving expenses are deductible if the move gets you at least 40 km closer to a new job or business; see moving expenses.
- Benefits follow you, but tell CRA your new address so provincial payments switch over; see CRA My Account.
- Selling your home is usually tax-free; see the principal residence exemption.
Province Comparison Questions
Which province has the lowest income tax in Canada?
For 2026 the territories, led by Nunavut, charge the least at most incomes. Among the provinces, British Columbia and Alberta are lowest at most incomes, with Alberta and Saskatchewan lowest at the top end.
Which province has the highest income tax?
Nova Scotia charges the most income tax at most incomes in 2026, followed closely by Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec is not included in this comparison.
How much would I save moving from Ontario to Alberta?
On a $100,000 salary, about $250 a year of income tax in 2026. On $200,000, about $6,600. Add the sales tax difference, roughly 8% of your taxable spending, and subtract any higher costs such as car insurance.
Which province do I pay tax to if I moved this year?
The province you lived in on December 31. That province’s tax applies to all your income for the year.
Does the calculator include Quebec?
No. Quebec residents file a separate provincial return with Revenu Quebec and get a federal abatement, so the numbers are not comparable in the same way.
Sources: CRA, Tax rates and brackets; CRA, GST/HST rates. Checked October 2026. Figures come from our 2026 rules engine with basic credits only and may differ from your return by a few dollars to a few hundred, more if you claim family, age or disability credits. Mid-year 2026 provincial rate changes are applied as announced for the full year where the province said so.
Last reviewed October 5, 2026 against CRA and Government of Canada sources. How we check our facts.