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The New Year Will Bring Huge Tax Hikes In British Columbia

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Photo: Conrad Olson / Flickr

Residents across the province should be ready for numerous takes hikes in 2019.

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is warning British Columbians to brace themselves for big tax hikes in the New Year, affecting most of the province through hikes in employer, property, and fuel taxes.

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“The Employer Health Tax will have a cascading effect across the province, putting a chill on new hiring and pay raises, and risking property tax hikes from Port Alberni to Prince George,” said Kris Sims, B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

“This is a huge downloading of taxes from Victoria onto the backs of job creators and municipalities across the province”.

The Employer Health Tax (EHT) “starts in 2019 and it’s stacked on top of the pre-existing Medical Services Premium, MSP, creating a double dip of taxation on many B.C. employers for the year”. Employers with a payroll of more than $1.5 million must pay a tax of 1.5 per cent, while job creators with a smaller payroll pay on a different scale.

As for some homeowners, they’ll be facing a new tax as well.

Homes valued at “more than $3 million are getting hammered with a new “school tax” created by the provincial government”.

Other Tax Hikes In British Columbia

Other tax hikes include:

  • Carbon tax leaping from $35 per ton to $40 per ton on April 1st, 2019
  • TransLink tax goes up from 17 cents up to 18.5 cents per litre of gas in the spring

If ICBC has its way, motorists will also face a 6.3% hike for basic insurance rates.

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