• Montréal applies the highest commercial taxes in the country.

MONTRÉAL, QC:  The Canadian Taxpayers Federation presented its submission calling on city hall to lower taxes to reverse the issue of empty retail spaces on Montréal’s commercial streets.

“One can’t have vibrant commercial streets and the highest commercial taxes in the land: those two concepts are incompatible,” said CTF Quebec Director Renaud Brossard. “The solution to the problem of empty retail spaces has to go through tax relief.”

Based on data from Altus Group, the CTF notes that not only are Montréal’s commercial tax rates the highest in Canada, but they are over 50 per cent higher than the national average. CTF recommends that Montréal lowers commercial taxes to the national average.

CTF also advises the city against creating a new tax on empty retail spaces, which wouldn’t do anything to solve the situation.

“All the incentives are already pointing landlords towards leasing their space,” said Brossard. “This tax is nothing more than another attempt from a tax-hungry government to get even more money to satiate its fiscal appetite.”

The CTF’s full submission is available (in French) via the following link: http://www.taxpayer.com/media/M%c3%a9moire-FCC-Redonner-vie-%c3%a0-nos-grandes-art%c3%a8res-commerciales.pdf

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Media contact :
Renaud Brossard
Quebec Director
Canadian Taxpayers Federation

t : 514-743-2883
e : [email protected]
Twitter : @renaudbrossard