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1. Tax discrepancies hurt renters in major Canadian cities

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 6, 2020 The COVID pandemic has impacted virtually every aspect of the Canadian economy, including the ability of renters to pay rent. The situation underscores a longstanding, yet little known, issue—the disproportionate ...

2. Calgary making tough tax decisions other cities aren’t

   Before the spread of COVID-19, Calgary was already struggling with another kind of acute problem—a municipal budget crisis. The energy industry’s half-decade-long downturn has led to soaring commercial space vacancies in the downtown core ...

3. Montreal retail woes underscore need for property tax reform

   Approximately 15 per cent of Montreal's street-level retail spaces are vacant. ...

4. Ontario won’t be ‘open for business’ without business property tax reform

   Appeared in the Globe and Mail, January 4, 2020 The Ford government wants to project its “open for business” ethos in 2020 and beyond. Indeed, Queen’s Park recently focused heavily on business competitiveness in its fall economic statement, announcing a ...

5. Property tax rates much higher for businesses than residents—which can cause serious problems

   Appeared in the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, November 23, 2019 When homeowners receive their annual property tax bill from city hall, they’re likely unaware that the shop down the street pays a higher property tax rate—probably much higher. For ...

6. Property tax rates in Calgary and Edmonton much higher for businesses than residents

   Appeared in the Calgary Sun, November 21, 2019 In recent years, Calgary has learned the hard way about relying too heavily on the commercial property tax base to fund local services. Due to the significant drop in downtown commercial real estate values, ...

7. Property taxes hurting businesses—and communities—in the GTHA

   Appeared in the Ottawa Sun, October 23, 2019 Ask people about their least favourite taxes and there’s a good chance the property tax will feature in the mix—maybe right at the top. And for good reason. With rapidly rising assessment values in recent years ...

8. Who Bears the Burden of Property Taxes in Canada’s Largest Metropolitan Areas?

   Property taxes are the primary source of revenue for local governments in Canada. The revenues raised are used to pay for a variety of public services including police, schools, fire protection, roads, and sewers. Owners of different classes of property, ...