Consumption taxes are generally the most efficient way for governments to raise revenue.
HST
July 23, 2024
1:00AM
The province has one of the highest business tax rates in North America.
July 2, 2024
11:21AM
The tax leads to higher operating costs that hurt the competitiveness of businesses in the province.
October 3, 2016
11:46AM
B.C.’s has one of the highest overall tax rates on new investment in Canada and the developed world.
July 22, 2016
7:15AM
Well-designed consumption taxes, of which sales taxes are one type, are much less damaging.
February 22, 2016
10:41AM
To eliminate the deficit, Alberta's government should restrain spending.
April 28, 2014
10:55PM
While Premier Christy Clark aims “to create an environment where growth and investment can flourish,” little has been achieved since last year’s electoral victory. If Premier Clark is to help British Columbians obtain the desired prosperity and jobs, her top economic priority should be to make BC the most investment-friendly jurisdiction in Canada.
October 19, 2013
2:00AM
In the recent Speech from the Throne, the federal government announced a variety of initiatives but the one that drew much attention was its ostensible consumer-friendly tack.
On some consumer issues, the Conservative government has the right instincts, promoting competition within the cellphone sector for example, even if its approach to the upcoming wireless spectrum auction is flawed.
In other places, the Harper governments predisposition is counter-productive.
For instance, ponder the federal governments desire to micromanage how airlines double-book seats.
March 30, 2013
3:00AM
April 1st is an important day for British Columbians and we're not referring to the Easter long weekend. On that day BC officially scraps the HST and in one fell swoop restores the old Provincial Sales Tax system.
But moving back to the PST will cause harm to the provincial economy and BC families will lose out on the increased prosperity and jobs that the HST would have encouraged. Since our province will be poorer with the PST, it falls on our political leaders to take action to lessen the impact.
October 16, 2012
2:00AM
Last month, British Columbias Expert Panel on Business Taxation delivered its much anticipated final report (at least among us policy wonks). Unfortunately, the report garnered little media attention and failed to spark much debate about BCs tax competitiveness.
The Expert Panel was appointed early this year by then-Finance Minister Kevin Falcon; it was made up of a cross-section of people from business, academia, and government to provide recommendations on how BCs business taxes could be made more competitive given the return of the PST in 2013.