Vancouver hotel tax 2026: 8 percent PST plus up to 5.5 percent in levies

The three layers

A Vancouver hotel room carries three provincial charges in 2026. The Province of British Columbia sets them out on its own accommodation tax page: PST of 8 percent applies to sales of short term accommodation in the province unless a specific exemption applies, a municipal and regional district tax of up to 3 percent applies in participating areas, and an additional Major Events tax applies to short term accommodation in the City of Vancouver, effective 1 February 2023 until 31 January 2030, at 2.5 percent.

What a stay costs

Take a room at 300 dollars a night for three nights, so 900 dollars of room rate. PST at 8 percent is 72 dollars. The district tax at the full 3 percent is 27 dollars. The Major Events tax at 2.5 percent is 22.50 dollars. That is 121.50 dollars of accommodation tax, or 13.5 percent on top of the rate, before any federal tax is added to the bill.

The end date

The 2.5 percent Major Events layer is temporary by design, and the province gives 31 January 2030 as its expiry, so it is in force for every night of 2026.

What the provincial page leaves open is the exact district tax rate in force for Vancouver, since it states a ceiling of 3 percent rather than a city by city figure.

Sources: www2.gov.bc.ca, www2.gov.bc.ca.

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