Btakes home $6,681 more per year
$557 per month · same gross — the difference is all deductions
Line by line
Amounts per year. Green deltas favour B, red favour A.
| Line item | A · Ontario | B · B.C. | B − A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | |||
| Gross income | $250,000 | $250,000 | ±0 |
| Taxable incomeafter the CPP enhanced deduction | $248,873 | $248,873 | ±0 |
| Payroll programs | |||
| CPP + CPP2 | $4,646 | $4,646 | ±0 |
| EI premium | $1,123 | $1,123 | ±0 |
| Income tax | |||
| Federal taxafter credits | $53,524 | $53,524 | ±0 |
| Provincial taxafter credits | $23,785 | $27,480 | +$3,694 |
| Ontario surtaxa tax on Ontario tax | $9,476 | — | −$9,476 |
| Ontario health premium | $900 | — | −$900 |
| Bottom line | |||
| Total deductions | $93,454 | $86,773 | −$6,681 |
| Take-home | $156,546 | $163,227 | +$6,681 |
| Effective deduction rateshare of gross lost to tax, CPP and EI | 37.4% | 34.7% | −2.7 pts |
| True marginal rateon the next $100 | 49.8% | 46.1% | −3.7 pts |
Download comparison (PDF)This ledger, then a full statement for A and for B.
A — $250,000 in Ontario
Keeps $502 of the next $1,000. Both maps share one axis.
Hover or tap a segment to inspect it.
Hover or tap a segment to inspect it.
B — $250,000 in British Columbia
Keeps $539 of the next $1,000. Both maps share one axis.
Hover or tap a segment to inspect it.
Hover or tap a segment to inspect it.
Where the $6,681 comes from at $250,000
Federal tax ($53,524), CPP and EI ($5,770) are identical in both provinces — they depend only on your income.
So the whole difference is provincial tax: $34,161 in Ontario against $27,480 in British Columbia.
The lines that differ most: Ontario's surtax adds $9,476; B.C.'s brackets charge $3,804 more on the same $248,873 of taxable income (5.6% up to 16.8%, against 5.05% up to 13.16% in Ontario); and the Ontario Health Premium adds $900.
| Provincial tax | Ontario | B.C. | Pays more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tax on the brackets | $24,676 | $28,480 | B.C. +$3,804 |
| Less credits: basic personal amount, CPP, EI | − $890 | − $1,000 | Ontario +$110 |
| Ontario surtax | $9,476 | $0 | Ontario +$9,476 |
| Ontario Health Premium | $900 | $0 | Ontario +$900 |
| Provincial income tax | $34,161 | $27,480 | B.C. +$6,681 |
Your next dollar in each province
On a $1,000 raise from $250,000 you would keep $502 in Ontario and $539 in British Columbia.
Ontario
49.8%
true marginal · bracket rate 42.2% (29% federal + 13.16% provincial)
Higher than the bracket rate because the enhanced federal basic personal amount is being clawed back across this income band; Ontario's surtax adds 56% on top of the Ontario tax on each new dollar.
British Columbia
46.1%
true marginal · bracket rate 45.8% (29% federal + 16.8% provincial)
Also acting on it: the enhanced federal basic personal amount is being clawed back across this income band.
Who keeps more at every salary
Take-home in Ontario and British Columbia on the same salary, checked every $100 from $0 to $500,000.
- Up to $20,200, take-home is identical: credits cancel all provincial tax in both.
- From $20,200 to $30,300, British Columbia keeps more — up to $300 a year (at $25,300).
- From $30,300 to $40,100, Ontario keeps more — up to $215 a year (at $32,800).
- From $40,100 up, British Columbia keeps more — $7,372 a year by $500,000, and still growing.
What sets each province apart
The 2026 rules behind the numbers above.
Ontario
- 5 brackets, from 5.05% up to 13.16% above $220,000. The $150,000 and $220,000 thresholds are never indexed, so more earners reach them each year.
- A surtax on top: 20% of Ontario tax above $5,818, plus another 36% above $7,446 — it starts at about $98,600 of income and steps up at about $115,100.
- The Ontario Health Premium: up to $900 a year, in steps from $20,000 of taxable income; the schedule is not indexed.
- A basic personal amount of $12,989, credited at 5.05% — worth $656. On low incomes the Ontario tax reduction and the LIFT credit (up to $875) cancel Ontario tax; LIFT shrinks by 5% of income above $32,500.
British Columbia
- 7 brackets, from 5.6% up to 20.5% above $265,545 — the most steps of the three provinces.
- Budget 2026 raised the lowest rate from 5.06% to 5.6%, and with it the rate every B.C. credit is worth. Bracket indexation is paused for 2027–2030.
- A basic personal amount of $13,216, credited at 5.6% — worth $740. The B.C. tax reduction credit (up to $690) cancels B.C. tax on low incomes, shrinking by 3.56% of income above $25,570.
This compares income tax, CPP and EI only. Sales tax differs too — Alberta has no provincial sales tax, B.C. charges 7% PST and Ontario's HST is 13% — and so do housing, car insurance and everything else a move changes.