VANCOUVER: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is urging the provincial government to cancel its new taxes instead of just delaying them.
“While it’s good the B.C. carbon tax hike is being delayed for a year, it should be scrapped altogether,” said Kris Sims, B.C. Director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Hardworking British Columbians should not be punished for driving to work and heating their homes this winter while we try to recover from this COVID-19 economic wrecking ball.”
The B.C. Finance Ministry posted a notice stating the government of Premier John Horgan is waiting until April 1, 2021, to hike the B.C. carbon tax from its current rate of 8.9 cents per litre of gasoline to 10 cents per litre. In 2022, the government plans to hike the carbon tax to 11.1 cents per litre.
The B.C. government is also hitting pause on imposing a tax on sweetened beverages including pop and it is delaying its planned tax on online services such as Netflix and Spotify, both taxes will now kick in on April 1, 2021.
The pop tax was going to cost British Columbians $38 million in 2021 and the Netflix tax was set to cost them $16 million next year.
Employers who have to pay the Employer Health Tax (EHT) will now have until Dec. 31 to make their quarterly installment payments to the government (the original due date was June 15).
“The fact the government is delaying these tax hikes is a clear admission that they’ll hurt families and businesses so the premier needs to do the right thing start delivering tax relief instead of stalling,” said Sims. “Taxpayers are struggling and they can’t afford to pay more.”
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