If you’re selling on Walmart.ca, chances are you’ve noticed their payouts are… less than straightforward. Most sellers focus on the sales side but there’s a hidden tax detail that often gets missed:
👉
Walmart charges you GST/HST on their fees, and you can claim that back.
Where Sellers Get Tripped Up
When you log into Walmart Seller Central and check your payouts, you’ll see sales, referral fees, and maybe fulfillment fees. The summary looks clean, but it’s not the full story.
Here’s the issue:
- Walmart adds GST/HST to the fees they charge you (referral fees, WFS fees, even shipping-related fees).
- That tax is input tax credit (ITC) eligible — meaning you can recover it on your GST/HST return.
- If you only use the payout summary, you won’t see it broken out. You need to pull the detailed payments report to find the GST/HST amounts.
We’ve seen plenty of sellers who miss this and end up overpaying tax because they didn’t claim those credits back.
Example: Referral Fees with HST
Let’s say you made $310 in sales. Walmart deducts $52.55 in referral fees. Hidden inside that fee?
$6.05 of HST.
Same with fulfillment fees — they deducted $22.31, but $2.55 of that was HST.
That’s money you can recover on your GST/HST return. If you don’t, you’re leaving dollars on the table.
How to Pull the Right Report
Here’s what to do:
- Log in to Walmart Seller Central.
- Go to Payments > Download Options > Detailed Report.
- Choose your payout period and export the file.
- Look for GST/HST columns on referral fees and fulfillment fees.
These are the amounts you add to your input tax credits when you file.
Why This Matters
- Bigger refunds (or lower remittances). Claiming ITCs reduces the net GST/HST you owe to CRA.
- Cleaner books. Recording the GST/HST on fees properly keeps your accounting accurate.
- Compliance. CRA expects you to report both the GST/HST you collected and the GST/HST you paid. Missing the “paid” side means you’re overpaying.
Watch Outs
- Refunds: Walmart’s reports can be messy with returns sometimes they don’t show negatives correctly. Double-check the data before you book it.
- Shipping: Walmart charges referral fees on shipping revenue too and then HST on top of that. Don’t miss it.
- PST provinces: Walmart may collect and remit PST directly. Make sure you’re not duplicating those amounts.
If you’re selling on Walmart.ca and just relying on the payout summary, you’re probably missing GST/HST you’ve already paid on your fees. That’s money back in your pocket when you claim it on your return.
