Canada's tax rates vary so much by province — Here's who pays the most (& the least)

If you make $25,000...

At this income — equivalent to roughly 27 to 32 hours a week at minimum wage, depending on your province — where you live makes the most noticeable difference.

The lowest tax bill in the country goes to Albertans, who'd owe around $1,500 in 2025 (the vast majority of which is the federal tax portion). That's thanks to Alberta's generous BPA (the highest in the country) and new 8% tax bracket.

Newfoundlanders pay the most at this level, with a tax bill of around $2,498 — a whopping 67% more than in Alberta.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $25,000:

• Alberta: 6.0%
• Saskatchewan: 7.5%
• British Columbia: 7.6%
• Ontario: 7.6%
• Quebec: 7.9%
• Prince Edward Island: 9.1%
• Manitoba: 9.1%
• New Brunswick: 9.5%
• Nova Scotia: 9.8%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 10.0%

If you make $50,000...

B.C. and Ontario are in a tight race for the lowest tax bill for the lower-middle income bracket, though once you're earning around $50K — equivalent to a full-time job paying around $25 per hour — Ontario comes out slightly ahead. Here, you'd owe about $6,793 on this income in 2025.

Compare that to a high of $9,475 in Nova Scotia, which takes over from Newfoundland as the most expensive once your income passes around $31K. That's nearly 40% more tax than Ontarians pay.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $50,000:

• Ontario: 13.6%
• British Columbia: 13.6%
• Alberta: 14.3%
• Saskatchewan: 16.2%
• New Brunswick: 16.7%
• Quebec: 17.0%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 17.3%
• Manitoba: 17.3%
• Prince Edward Island: 17.9%
• Nova Scotia: 18.9%

If you make $75,000...

In general, B.C. takes the title as the cheapest province for the vast majority of Canadian incomes between about $39,000 to $150,000 (with the exception of Ontario's brief stint at the top from around $49,000 to $59,000). In 2025, British Columbians earning $75K pay around $13,413 in tax.

Nova Scotia, meanwhile, continues to be the most expensive at $18,135 — a 35% difference from B.C.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $75,000:

• British Columbia: 17.9%
• Ontario: 18.2%
• Alberta: 18.8%
• Saskatchewan: 21.1%
• New Brunswick: 22.0%
• Manitoba: 22.0%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 22.6%
• Quebec: 22.7%
• Prince Edward Island: 23.1%
• Nova Scotia: 24.2%

If you make $100,000...

Not much changes in the rankings when you hit six figures. B.C. is still the cheapest, with a tax bill of about $20,504. In Nova Scotia, you'd owe around $27,462 — nearly $7,000 more, or 34% higher.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $100,000:

• British Columbia: 20.5%
• Ontario: 21.2%
• Alberta: 21.7%
• Saskatchewan: 24.1%
• Manitoba: 24.8%
• New Brunswick: 25.1%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 25.8%
• Quebec: 26.0%
• Prince Edward Island: 26.6%
• Nova Scotia: 27.5%

If you make $250,000...

By this point, Alberta is back on top as the lowest-tax province, with a bill around $80,046.

Meanwhile, Quebec takes over as most expensive for anyone earning between around $154,000 and $263,000. At $250K, for example, Quebecers pay around $97,688 — 22% more than Albertans do.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $250,000:

• Alberta: 32.0%
• British Columbia: 33.3%
• Saskatchewan: 34.1%
• Ontario: 35.7%
• New Brunswick: 36.7%
• Manitoba: 36.8%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 37.0%
• Prince Edward Island: 38.0%
• Nova Scotia: 39.0%
• Quebec: 39.1%

If you make $1,000,000...

For big-time earners making seven figures, Alberta remains the best province to pay taxes to, with a total tax bill of around $438,791.

Meanwhile, provinces that go easy on middle-income earners like B.C. and Ontario are quickly falling down the ranks — especially after Ontario's full surtax kicks in at around $110K.

Nova Scotia reclaims the top spot for highest tax burden and becomes the first province to reach an effective tax rate of 50%, with a total tax bill of $502,496 on $1 million.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $1 million:

• Alberta: 43.9%
• Saskatchewan: 44.1%
• Manitoba: 47.1%
• British Columbia: 48.4%
• New Brunswick: 48.5%
• Prince Edward Island: 48.5%
• Ontario: 49.1%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 49.8%
• Quebec: 49.7%
• Nova Scotia: 50.2%

If you make $5,000,000...

First of all, congratulations. You must have done something very right (or, frankly, very wrong) to earn that kind of money — but it's not without its burdens.

Saskatchewan actually beats out Alberta for the lowest effective tax rate for ultra-high earners (around $1.5 million and above). CEOs, hedge fund bros and mob bosses (honest ones, anyway) pay around $2.34 million in taxes on $5 million in this province — still well under 50%, which most other provinces have long passed at this point.

Galen Weston Jr., for example, made around $5 million in taxable income in 2024 from his executive role at George Weston Ltd. Assuming he earned the same in 2025, as a resident of Ontario, he'd be looking at a tax bill of about $2.63 million this spring — over half of his taxable earnings.

Meanwhile, Newfoundland and Labrador takes back over as the most expensive province in the country for anyone earning more than $1.7 million or so. In that province, you'd pay about $2.69 million — 15% more than in Saskatchewan.

Here's the effective tax rate by province on $5,000,000:

• Saskatchewan: 46.8%
• Alberta: 47.2%
• Manitoba: 49.7%
• Prince Edward Island: 51.3%
• New Brunswick: 51.7%
• British Columbia: 52.5%
• Quebec: 52.6%
• Ontario: 52.6%
• Nova Scotia: 53.2%
• Newfoundland and Labrador: 53.8%