Tax Accountants in Ontario

No. Ontario folded its former retail sales tax into the harmonised sales tax, so a single HST replaces the old GST plus PST pair on most sales, and registered businesses charge it, remit it and claim input tax credits on their own purchases. A narrow provincial retail sales tax still applies in a few places, notably certain insurance premiums and benefit plans and private vehicle sales between individuals. Those are administered by Ontario rather than the CRA.

Ontario charges land transfer tax on the value of the consideration, normally the purchase price, when the transfer is registered. The rates are graduated: each band of the price is taxed at its own rate, so the bill rises faster than the price. Toronto adds a second municipal land transfer tax on top. First-time buyers may claim a rebate, and buyers who are neither citizens nor permanent residents can face an extra non-resident charge. Run your actual price through the province's calculator before closing.

Ontario charges its own graduated personal rates, plus a surtax and the Ontario Health Premium, on top of federal tax, so the combined marginal rate climbs with income. For corporations in 2026 the Ontario small business rate is 3.2%, falling to 2.2% effective 1 July 2026, which gives a combined federal and provincial small business rate of 12.2% falling to 11.2%; a 31 December 2026 year end blends to roughly 11.7%. The Ontario combined general rate for 2026 is 26.5%.

Personal income tax deadlines are federal, so Ontario residents follow the same dates as everyone else: 30 April 2026 for the 2025 return and any balance owing, and 15 June 2026 to file if you are self-employed, with payment still due 30 April 2026. Property tax is a separate matter, set and billed by your municipality on its own instalment schedule, so check your city or town for those dates.

No single figure describes it, because the total turns on income, province of residence, family situation and the credits claimed. A typical household pays federal and provincial income tax, Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan and Employment Insurance contributions, GST or HST on most purchases, municipal property tax directly or through rent, plus fuel and excise taxes. Your own income tax for a year is set out on the notice of assessment the CRA issues.

Yes, up to $4,475 of the municipal land transfer tax, the maximum since 1 March 2017. It is separate from Ontario's $4,000 provincial rebate, so a qualifying Toronto first-time buyer can recover up to $8,475 in total. The conditions match the provincial ones: at least 18, a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, no previous home ownership anywhere in the world, and occupancy within nine months of registration.

Caller ID proves nothing either way. Genuine CRA calls can show a blocked or unfamiliar number, and scammers routinely spoof real CRA lines, toll-free prefixes and even local mobile numbers, so treat the display as no evidence at all. Verify instead: ask for the agent's name and office, hang up, and call back on a number published on canada.ca. Genuine files also show in My Account, and a real agent never demands immediate payment.

Canadian sellers advertise pre-tax prices and add GST, HST or provincial sales tax at the till. Nothing requires tax-included pricing, rates differ by province, and taxability depends on what is sold: one trip to the till can mix fully taxable goods, zero-rated goods such as basic groceries, and exempt supplies. Fuel is the exception — the price posted at the pump already contains the fuel taxes and the GST or HST, so nothing is added when you pay.

Yes. Toilet paper and other household paper products are ordinary taxable supplies rather than basic groceries, so HST applies at the till. Zero-rating covers food and beverages bought for home consumption only, which is why cleaning supplies, paper goods, pet food and personal care items all stay taxable. In Ontario that means HST at 13% (unchanged for the 2025 and 2026 years) is added to the price; the rate is set by the province where the sale is made, not by where the buyer lives.

Not as a deduction, but property tax paid on your principal residence supports the Ontario energy and property tax credit, claimed on the Ontario benefits application filed with your T1. The credit is income tested and paid out through the Ontario Trillium Benefit, so lower and modest income households receive the most. Senior homeowners may also qualify for the provincial property tax grant on the same application. Rent paid counts as well. Keep your bills and receipts.