Description
The Alberta Tax Advantage is a set of estimates of the additional tax burdens Albertans and Alberta businesses would be subject to if Alberta had the tax systems of other provinces. The estimates are published each year in the provincial budget. Tax advantage estimates are calculated for personal and corporate income taxes, sales taxes, health care premiums, payroll taxes, fuel taxes, and other taxes, which includes tourism levy, capital taxes, land transfer taxes, tobacco taxes, and revenue from alcohol sales (Alberta does not tax alcohol sales, but does levy a liquor mark-up. Other provinces tax alcohol sales, so all provincial revenues collected from alcohol sales are included for comparative purposes). Each estimate is then used to determine the tax advantage or disadvantage that Albertans and Alberta businesses have as a result of Alberta’s tax system (versus other provincial systems). The estimates for each tax component are aggregated to determine the total advantage provided...