Ontario gasoline tax and Toronto pump prices: current rates and pause

Checked 7 November 2026. Natural Resources Canada lists Ontario's gasoline tax at 9.0¢ per litre and Ontario HST at 13%. The federal gasoline excise tax normally has a 10¢/L rate, but the federal government temporarily suspended the tax on gasoline through 31 January 2027. As of this check, the suspended federal charge is not an extra 10¢/L to add to a Toronto pump price.

The key distinction is the normal rate versus the temporary rule. Canada's official fuel-consumption levies table describes the standard federal excise rate, and the Canada Border Services Agency notice covers the temporary suspension. Check the current federal notice before calculating a later date.

The tax components to distinguish

Natural Resources Canada lists a 9.0¢/L Ontario gasoline tax and 13% Ontario HST. It also lists the normal federal gasoline excise at 10¢/L. That standard federal table needs to be read alongside the current suspension: Finance Canada announced the temporary suspension for gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels, with the captured federal information extending relief through 31 January 2027.

Do not sum every rate in a historical or general table as if each one were charged on a pump of gasoline today. During the federal pause, the usual gasoline excise charge is temporarily suspended. HST and the Ontario gasoline tax are separate items. The retailer's displayed price already incorporates applicable taxes; do not add them again to a forecast or receipt total.

Ontario's own motor-fuel price page reports retail prices in Canadian cents per litre and states that its data is gathered weekly and published each Monday. Those price comparisons include taxes. They can help explain a broad average but cannot isolate every component in a station's posted price on a particular day.

What the federal suspension changes—and what it does not

Finance Canada announced that the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel would be suspended from 20 April 2026. The captured Canada Border Services Agency notice and PBO update report the extension through 31 January 2027, then a 50% rate from 1 February through 31 March 2027.

That legal pause changes a tax component. It does not guarantee that pump prices fall by exactly 10¢/L at every station, because retail prices also move with wholesale fuel, refining, distribution and market conditions. A forecasted pump price already reflects the provider's estimate of the total at the pump; do not subtract or add a tax a second time unless you are explicitly analysing a tax component.

The temporary schedule is date-specific. The captured federal notice says the pause runs through 31 January 2027 and a half-rate period follows. If calculating a price after that period, check for a later federal extension or change instead of assuming that the suspension continues.

Tax-inclusive price versus a forecast

A city forecast such as the Affordable Energy estimate for Toronto is expressed as a regular-gas pump price in cents per litre. It is not a pre-tax wholesale quotation. Our Toronto prices today and tomorrow guide dates the 7–8 November estimate and warns that it is a forecast, not a guaranteed station sign.

If you want to compare tax components, start with official rates and the applicable date. If you want to choose a station, use a current station report and confirm its fuel grade, payment conditions and update time. The lowest-price station map guide explains that distinction.

A tax rate alone cannot tell you which neighbourhood station is cheapest. The weekly Toronto trend guide distinguishes forecasts from weekly provincial data, while the tomorrow forecast page provides the source and date for a near-term estimate.

One-litre tax illustration

At the standard Ontario gasoline-tax rate, 20 litres multiplied by 9.0¢/L equals $1.80 of that specific provincial tax component. This arithmetic does not calculate a whole receipt, tax-on-tax treatment or final HST. The normal 10¢/L federal excise should not be inserted as an active charge during the captured suspension period.

This simple multiplication is useful for understanding a component, not forecasting retail prices. A posted Toronto price already combines several components. To calculate a legal tax obligation or compare a receipt, consult the current official rate and applicable rules for the transaction date; the unit and taxable base matter.