At activation, taxes are calculated based on your payment address (postal code). Post-activation, taxes are calculated based on the area code of your phone number .

All Public Mobile subscription plans and add-on purchases are subject to applicable federal and provincial taxes. While all subscribers pay the same federal tax rate, the provincial tax rate you are charged is determined based on information you provide us. Depending on the information you provide, you might notice a difference in the tax rates applied during activation compared to subsequent payments.

The tax calculation process varies at two different instances. Here's how we determine your tax rate:

       1. Account activation: When creating your Public Mobile account and choosing your subscription plan, the tax rate is determined by the postal code provided in your billing address.

       2. Subsequent subscription payments: After your first payment, all future payments will include a tax rate determined by your phone number’s area code.

If your phone number’s area code and payment method’s postal codes are for the same province, you will be charged the same tax rate for all payments. If they represent different provinces, there may be a slight difference in the amount charged.

Example 1: Same Province

If you pay with a credit card with an Ontario billing address (i.e. M5J postal code) and select a phone number with an Ontario phone number (i.e. 905 area code), then you will be charged 13% Ontario HST for every payment. If your subscription plan costs $30.00, you will be charged $33.90 when you first activate and every 30 days after.

Example 2: Different Provinces

If you pay with a credit card with an Ontario billing address (i.e. M5J postal code) but you select a phone number with an Alberta phone number (i.e. 403 area code), then you will be charged 13% Ontario HST when you first activate your subscription and 5% Alberta GST on your following payments. If your subscription plan costs $30.00, you will be charged $33.90 when you first activate and $31.50 every 30 days after.

If you relocate to another province, we recommend updating your phone number to ensure you’re paying the correct tax amount and your long-distance coverage is used appropriately.