Canadian · Sales Tax
Reverse HST calculator, Nova Scotia.
Got a total with tax already in it? Enter it and get the price before tax and the HST that was added.
In Nova Scotia the combined rate is 14% HST. To remove it, divide the total by 1.14. Example: $287.50 ÷ 1.14 = $252.19 before tax, so $35.31 of the total is tax.
Inputs
Result
Enter a total to see the price before tax.
How the reverse calculation works
Nova Scotia is the one HST province whose rate is not 15% or 13%. Many older tools and screenshots still divide by 1.15, which gives the wrong pre-tax price for a recent receipt.
Pre-tax price = total ÷ 1.14. Tax = total − pre-tax price. Worked examples at the Nova Scotia rate:
- $287.50 total = $252.19 before tax and $35.31 HST.
- $42.00 total = $36.84 before tax and $5.16 HST.
Nova Scotia totals, tax removed
| Total paid | Before tax | HST |
|---|---|---|
| $10.00 | $8.77 | $1.23 |
| $20.00 | $17.54 | $2.46 |
| $40.00 | $35.09 | $4.91 |
| $80.00 | $70.18 | $9.82 |
| $150.00 | $131.58 | $18.42 |
| $400.00 | $350.88 | $49.12 |
| $900.00 | $789.47 | $110.53 |
Sources, read October 2026: CRA, GST/HST rates by province (calculator page) (page details 2026-04-08); CRA, which rate to charge (page details 2026-04-08). Rates change; the CRA page above is the one to check.
Frequently asked questions
How do I remove HST from a Nova Scotia total?
Divide the total by 1.14. That is 1 plus the combined rate of 14%. The result is the price before tax; subtract it from the total to get the tax. $287.50 ÷ 1.14 = $252.19, so the tax is $35.31.
Why can't I just take 14% off the total?
Because the rate applies to the pre-tax price, not to the total. Taking 14% of $287.50 gives $40.25, but the real tax is $35.31. Dividing by 1.14 is the correct reverse.
Is Nova Scotia HST 14% or 15%?
14% since 1 April 2025. The CRA page says the HST rate decreased to 14% in Nova Scotia as of that date, and its rate table lists 14%. A receipt dated before 1 April 2025 was taxed at the older rate, which was 15%: pick "Custom rate" and enter 15 to reverse it. (Which rate applied can depend on when the supply was made or paid for, so check the CRA if the dates straddle the change.)
Will the answer match my receipt to the cent?
Usually, but not always. A seller rounds the tax on its own invoice, sometimes line by line, and more than one pre-tax price can produce the same total once rounded. This tool rounds the pre-tax price to the nearest cent and makes the tax lines add back to your total. If the receipt prints the tax, trust the receipt.
Estimate only
This is arithmetic on the rate you choose. It does not know whether the items you bought were taxable, zero-rated, exempt or taxed at a different rate, and it does not look anything up from the CRA or any provincial register. Where a receipt prints its own tax lines, use those. Verify current rates with the CRA before invoicing.