CFIB calls for fairness with widening property tax gap
Posted Jul 3, 2016 1:26 pm.
Last Updated Jul 3, 2016 1:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Calgary businesses are feeling the pinch of property taxes, paying at a rate 3.8 times more than homeowners, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses.
In a recent report, the CFIB analyzes residential and commercial property tax rates in Alberta municipalities from 2006 to 2015.
It says across the province, business owners pay almost two and a half times more for property taxes than homeowners.
Alberta Director Amber Ruddy says it’s up to the government to close that gap.
“When we hear Mayor Nenshi saying things like property taxes are a lousy way to fund government, well frankly it’s what you’ve got,” she said. “So you can’t be scheming up new tax ideas behind closed doors. What we really need to address is the spending, keeping those operational budgets under control so the tax hike doesn’t get shifted onto the backs of businesses.”
Ruddy said businesses do want to pay their fair share but, with continued increases, costs have gone beyond what’s reasonable.
For 2017, the City of Calgary is using money from a reserve fund to freeze property taxes for one year.
“What we need to see is tax relief for the long term, if municipal government can get their wages, salaries and benefits under control, similar to the private sector in what they pay, that would be enough for a tax savings for the long term right there,” Ruddy said.
