Unlike many countries, service and taxes are not included in the price. Whether you are in a restaurant or a store, taxes will be added when you pay your bill.
In Canada, there are two taxes: the federal GST (goods and services tax) which is 5% and the provincial tax which varies from 0 to 10% from one province to another.
De plus, le pourboire ou aussi appelé le service n’est pas inclus dans les prix affiché. Also, the tip or service is not included in the price. It is customary to leave between 15 and 18% of your bill to the waiter who took care of you. In other words, employees who work in the restaurant industry are paid less than minimum wage, because it is considered that part of their salary will be supplemented by the tips left by customers. Of course, the tip is at the discretion of the customer, depending on the quality of the service received.
Here are some other situations where it is recommended to leave a tip:
In a bar/café: It is customary to leave $1 per drink. If the order is large, leave 15% of the amount. Si la commande est importante, laissez 15 % du montant.
Taxi driver: It is customary to leave 10% of the fare. Add $1 per suitcase if the driver handles them. Taxi drivers are generally honest in Canada, but it is always advisable to ask beforehand approximately how much the fare will be. The meter should be running unless it is a flat rate like a downtown airport connection. For example: from the Montreal airport to downtown Montreal, you will be asked for a flat fee of $40. You will leave a tip of between $5 and $10 depending on the number of bags and your satisfaction.
Tour Guide: If you are doing a city tour, day trip or guided activity, for example, it is customary to leave $4 to $6 per person for the guide. Again, this depends mostly on your satisfaction with the service. If you are very satisfied, you can leave more. Si vous êtes très satisfait, vous pouvez laisser d’avantage.
Bus driver: When touring Canada by coach, it is also customary to leave about $3 per person per day for the driver. Again, this depends on how satisfied you are with the service, if you are very satisfied, you can leave more.
The baggage handler at the hotel: In general, leave $1 per suitcase, more if your suitcase is large.
The maid in hotels: Some hotels take care to leave an envelope on the nightstand or desk for this purpose. If it is not put in the envelope, the maid will not take it. It is generally customary to leave $1 per person per night.