Government Spending & Taxes

— Oct 31, 2023
Printer-friendly version

A Review of Electric Vehicle Consumer Subsidies in Canada finds that government subsidies for electric vehicle purchases are an extremely costly way to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Canada.

— Oct 17, 2023
Printer-friendly version
It’s Time to Get Off the Resource Revenue Rollercoaster

There’s time to get off the resource revenue rollercoaster: Re-establishing the Alberta Sustainability Fund is a new study that finds with spending restraint, Alberta can re-introduce a rainy-day fund worth $9.8 billion by 2025/26 that could help insulate the province’s budget from swings in resource revenue.

— Sep 14, 2023
Printer-friendly version
Missed Opportunity: Federal Spending Increases Prevent Real Tax Relief for Canadians

Missed Opportunity: Federal Spending Increases Prevent Real Tax Relief for Canadians is a new study that finds had the federal government self-imposed some meaningful spending restraint since 2015/16, it could have provided $18.7 billion of tax relief to Canadians while running a surplus of $4.6 billion this year (2023/24).

— Aug 22, 2023
Printer-friendly version

Taxes versus the Necessities of Life: The Canadian Consumer Tax Index 2023 Edition is a new study that finds in 2022, the average Canadian family earned an income of $106,430 and paid $48,199 in total taxes--meaning, the average Canadian family spent 45.3 per cent of its income on taxes compared to 35.6 per cent on basic necessities.

— Aug 10, 2023
Printer-friendly version
Spending Growth Is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom

Spending Growth is the Cause of BC’s Coming Debt Boom is a new study that finds from 2000-2017 per person program spending in BC increased by 8.4 per cent (adjusted for inflation), but more recently, and in a much shorter time period from 2017 to 2022—even excluding COVID spending—per person spending increased by 25.9 per cent.

— Aug 10, 2023
Printer-friendly version
New Brunswick’s Divergent Finances: A Possible Opportunity for Tax Reduction

New Brunswick’s Divergent Finances: A Possible Opportunity for Tax Reduction finds that as a result of the New Brunswick government’s recent spending restraint, the province is now positioned to introduce meaningful tax relief, which if current government revenue and spending growth continues, could reach over $3,600 per taxpayer by 2032/33 without jeopardizing the province’s balanced budget.

— Aug 1, 2023
Printer-friendly version
Measuring Progressivity in Canada’s Tax System, 2023

Measuring Progressivity in Canada’s Tax System, 2023 finds that the top 20 per cent of income-earning families pay more than half (53.1 per cent) of total taxes including sales and property taxes. Conversely, the bottom 20 per cent of income-earning families pay 2.0 per cent of total taxes, due partly to the progressivity of Canada’s tax system where the share of taxes paid typically increases as incomes rise.

Subscribe to the Fraser Institute

Get the latest news from the Fraser Institute on the latest research studies, news and events.

Research Experts