Taxes

Does Canada Need a Wealth Tax? is a new study that finds not only will implementing a wealth tax reduce Canada’s economic growth and recovery post-COVID, but that it is unnecessary as the wealth inequality gap is shrinking in Canada. A wealth tax in Canada would constrain economic growth by discouraging savings and investment, especially when wealth taxes are layered on top of existing taxes.

Canadian Consumer Tax Index, 2020 finds that last year the average Canadian family spent 42.6 per cent of its income on taxes, more than housing, food and clothing costs combined, which made up just 36.2 per cent. The annual study tracks the total tax bill of the average Canadian household from 1961 to 2019, and looks at both visible and hidden taxes that families pay to the federal, provincial and local governments, including income, payroll, sales, property, health, fuel and alcohol taxes, and more.