The Canadian Taxpayers Federation released its 25^th annual Gas Tax Honesty Report to shine a light on all the hidden taxes that making fueling up more expensive.

“High gas taxes make high pump prices more painful,” Jay Goldberg, Interim Atlantic Director of the CTF, said. “Politicians could immediately make life more affordable by reducing their big tax bill at the pumps.”

The CTF’s Gas Tax Honesty Report shows that taxes in Nova Scotia make up 38 per cent of the pump price, which works out to about 67 cents per litre. The average tax on a 64-litre fill-up in Nova Scotia is $42.88.

The federal government and Nova Scotia calculate sales taxes after all the per-litre taxes are added. This tax-on-tax costs drivers an extra 6.5 cents per litre of gasoline.

The federal carbon tax was imposed on Nova Scotia on July 1 at the rate of 14 cents per litre of gasoline, replacing the province’s cap-and-trade carbon tax system. That hiked gas taxes by more than 12 cents per litre overnight.

The federal government also imposed a second carbon tax through fuel regulations that took effect on July 1. By 2030, when the fuel regulations are fully implemented, the two carbon taxes will increase the price of gasoline by about 55 cents per litre and cost the average family more than $2,100 annually.

“Nova Scotians are still reeling from the effects of the largest carbon tax hike in Canadian history, courtesy of the Trudeau government,” Goldberg said. “Folks can barely afford to fuel up their cars and fill up the fridge so the last thing drivers need are higher carbon taxes that don’t help the environment.”

You can find the CTF’s 2023 Gas Tax Honesty Report here.