Alberta's Version Of Flat Tax Best In Canada

[Anonymous]

Alberta's tax system is the best in Canada. Our problem in this province is the out of control spending. Here's and article by Scott Hennig of the Canadian Taxpayer's Federation on the subject of taxes and spending in Alberta.



There are so many myths about the provincial tax system, so here are the top five fibs about Alberta's flat tax.

Fib 1: Alberta's single tax rate is a flat tax. Wrong a flat tax would make people pay tax on their first dollar earned. That is not how it works in Alberta.



Albertans don't pay provincial income tax until they earn over $17,787. That's why Alberta's system is called "single rate", but even that's a myth. Alberta has two tax rates: zero on everything under $17,787 and 10% on everything above that. It's a great and should NEVER change.



That leads to Fib 2, which Prentice offered up: Alberta's tax system hurts the working poor. No it doesn't. Poor Quebecois start paying income tax at $11,305(their basic provincial exemption) and the poor in PEI start paying provincial income tax on their meagre salaries at $7,708.



Alberta shields the poor in this province from paying $10,000 more income than does PEI. That helps not hurts the working poor.



Fib 3: Alberta's income tax is not progressive.



This is another false claim from Premier Prentice that his own finance department disagrees with.



In the last provincial budget on page 120, finance officials wrote of how Alberta "has a very progressive tax system that compares well with other provinces". Why does Alberta finance disagree with Alberta's premier? Because the existence of sales and health care taxes in other provinces means low income taxpayers pay more to their provincial governments.



In Ontario and British Columbia the poorest taxpayers(the bottom one quarter) pay 5.8% and 5.9% of all taxes collected in those provinces. Low-income Albertans cough up just 2.9% of all taxes collected here....half that of what the poor pay in other provinces.



Fib 4: The rich don't pay their fair share of taxes in Alberta.



Wrong again. The top one quarter of income earners pay 63.1% of all provincial taxes in Alberta. The rich pay a smaller share in Ontario(59.7%), in Saskatchewan(58.5%) and in BC(55.6%).



Fib 5: Alberta needs new and higher taxes.



Alberta's per person spending has soared way above population growth and inflation from about the time Ralph Klein left office. Last year the Alberta government spent 21% more on programs than BC spent.



Alberta's government should reform government pensions and salaries and stretch the current three year capital plan over 5 years.



The Ralph Klein government adopted a single tax rate and eliminated Alberta's entire debt. Those were two amazing accomplishments.



Too bad all the premiers since Klein seem intent on messing Klein's legacy to Albertans.

[Anonymous]

Taxes in Ontario under the self destructive leadership of the Liberals have only moved in one direction-up. At the same time they have doubled our debt. Next on Wynn's make Ontarians poorer list is a carbon tax.  acc_brix

[Lance Leftardashian]

We are all citizens of our collective society. A community. Nobody owns anything. Nobody should have more than anyone else. If they do, it should confiscated and shared with the proletariat.

[Anonymous]

We are all citizens of our collective society. A community. Nobody owns anything. Nobody should have more than anyone else. If they do, it should confiscated and shared with the proletariat.

Proletariat?? How about reactionary? Check your phone troll, it's not 1968 anymore ya know. ac_rollseyes

[Anonymous]

The city of Calgary will raise taxes this year as will the province of Alberta and Ottawa.



Salaries will remain flat, at least mine will.

 ac_unsure

[Anonymous]

The city of Calgary will raise taxes this year as will the province of Alberta and Ottawa.



Salaries will remain flat, at least mine will.

 ac_unsure

All three spend too much money. Instead of cutting spending they would rather charge us all more. That's what democracy gets us in the 2010's and it doesn't matter who you cast your vote for either. None of them have the balls to slash the runaway size of the state.