The GST/HST holiday is officially on — Here are ALL the items you'll save on for 2 months
It starts today!
Canada's GST and HST tax break is officially here, and we broke down exactly what items you'll save tax on for the next two months.
It's officially here, Canada! Just in time for the holidays, Canada's GST and HST holiday officially kicks off today.
For the next two months, this tax break will let Canadians save some — or all — of the sales tax on a long list of essentials, including groceries, holiday gifts and restaurant meals.
The federal government announced the GST/HST tax break last month, promising to waive the goods and services tax (GST) and harmonized sales tax (HST) on a specific list of qualifying items from December 14, 2024, to February 15, 2025.
The tax you'll save depends on where you live. If you're in a province that uses HST — Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador or P.E.I. — you'll dodge the entire 13% or 15% HST rate on these items.
Meanwhile, everywhere else, you'll get the 5% GST relief. In provinces with provincial sales tax (PST) — Quebec, Saskatchewan, B.C. and Manitoba — you'll still have to pay the provincial portion of the sales tax.
The tax break covers a range of everyday items and festive buys. Here's the complete rundown of everything you won't pay any GST or HST on during this two-month tax holiday — starting today.
Children's clothing & footwear
- Baby gear like bibs and baby blankets
- Kids' clothing up to girls' size 16 or boys' size 20 (or kids' sizes XS to L)
- Socks, hats, ties, scarves, belts, suspenders, mittens and gloves designed for children or babies
- Shoes for kids or babies with insoles measuring 24.25 cm or less
Kids' diapers & car seats
- Diapers, liners, training pants and rubber pants for babies or kids
- Certified car seats and booster seats
Books & newspapers
- Printed books and audiobooks (no notebooks, journals, colouring books or catalogues)
- Print newspapers with news and editorials (no digital publications or magazines)
Food & drinks
- Candy, chocolate, chips, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding, ice cream and other packaged snacks
- Cakes, muffins, pies, cookies, and other sweet baked goods (most savoury baked goods are tax exempt year-round)
- Salads, sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays, meat and cheese platters and other prepared foods
- Carbonated drinks, juice, flavoured beverages and drink mixes
- Bottled or unbottled water dispensed by the supplier
- Alcoholic beverages with up to 7% ABV, including wine, beer, cider and coolers
- Food and drinks served (for dine-in or to go) at a restaurant, cafe, concession stand, etc.
Holiday favourites
- Christmas trees (real or artificial)
- Toys for kids under 14 including board and card games, play sets, dolls and figurines, plushies, building blocks and plasticine
- Jigsaw puzzles for any age
- Video game consoles, controllers and physical copies of games (i.e., video game discs or cartridges)
Happy shopping, Canada!
Love this? Check out our Narcity noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
- Here's how much the GST/HST tax break could save you, based on where you live in Canada ›
- Canada is waiving GST & HST on a bunch of items — Here's what you need to know ›
- Canada Pension Plan payments for December go out soon — Here's how much you can get - Narcity ›
- GST/HST Credit payments for January 2025 go out soon — Here's how much you can get - Narcity ›
- 7 things worth buying before the GST/HST holiday ends that you might not know are tax-free - Narcity ›