New Alberta bill looks to push oil and gas companies to pay municipalities taxes owed
Posted Oct 28, 2021 07:33:36 PM.
The Alberta government is introducing legislation that it says would help municipalities recoup some of the millions of dollars in unpaid property taxes they’re owed by energy companies.
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver says a bill introduced in the legislature on Thursday would give communities the ability to place liens on assets of companies that aren’t paying their taxes — and seize them if necessary.
Today I introduced Bill 77, the Municipal Government (Restoring Tax Accountability) Amendment Act, which will restore balance for municipalities and oil and gas companies by giving municipalities the tools to collect taxes rightly owed. pic.twitter.com/7BCQ7NkepJ
— Ric McIver (@RicMcIver) October 28, 2021
The bill would also put municipalities at the front of the line when it comes to collecting unpaid debts from bankrupt companies.
He says this restores a tool that communities lost two years ago after a court ruled that such liens didn’t apply to the oilpatch.
McIver says the changes won’t solve all the problems, as some municipalities may be reluctant to use them if they would force a wobbly company to go under.
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The bill would also extend for two years a program that allows municipalities to forgo their education tax allotment if their arrears are due to nonpayment from the energy sector.
Rural Municipalities Alberta says its members are owed about $245 million from energy companies that haven’t paid their taxes, about half of which is from solvent companies.