Tax Facts by Oshawa Taxpayers Federation Board of Director Alan Slater

Total taxes in Canada amount to almost half of total income, comprising of income taxes, municipal taxes, consumer taxes, and a multitude of user fees, licenses, duties and excise taxes, and so on.

Where does it all come from, and go to? Is it uniformly distributed? Is there gross unfairness in parts of the system?

There is a wealth of data available, but how do you get a feel for the overall picture?

Here are some figures, from various sources, as a start towards a better understanding of where the worst inequities are. Some of the data appear to be old, but they date from times when the economy was more stable from year to year than it has been recently.

This is a work in progress, with updates, additions and improvements that will be done on a regular basis.

The Oshawa Taxpayers Federation encourages everyone to review the information, add to it as much as possible - through legitimate and confirmed sources, via e-mail to otf.inbox@gmail.com

Verified information, sources, comments, and suggestions are always welcome as the OTF is your Federation.

Municipal Revenues and Expenditures,
Canada. 2002 – 2007

Total revenues $86 billion, increasing to $109.6 billion + 27.0%

Total expenditures $85 billion, increasing to $112 billion + 31.4%

Total property taxes $34 billion, increasing to $43 billion + 26.0%

Inflation in the same period + 11.5%

Population increase in the same period + 5.4%

[from Canadian Taxpayers Federation, “A Property Tax Cap”, 2008]

Property Taxes vs Income – Canada

Property taxes = 2.9% of family income

Income taxes = 21.3% of family income

Family income less than $20,000;

Property tax = 10% of income
Income tax = 4% of income

Family income more than $100,000;

Property tax = 1.8% of income.
Income tax = 28.6% of income

[from Statscan ‘Daily’, July 24, 2003]

Low-income elderly; property tax = 11.7% of income
Non-elderly, non-low-income; property tax = 2.6% of income.

[from Statscan, ‘Property Taxes’, July, 2003]

Property Taxes by Province

Property tax = 2.9% of income, Canada average

Property tax = 3.2% of income, Ontario average

[from Statscan, ‘Property Taxes’ July, 2003]

Wages by Industry – Ontario – 2000 – 2004

Goods-producing; $18.83 to $20.59 = 9.3% increase
[including agriculture; $10.36 to $11.52 = 11.3% increase
utilities; $26.28 to $29.56 = 12.5% increase]

Service-producing, $17.11 to $19.00 = 11.0% increase

Public administration $22.65 to $26.74 = 18.0% increase

Total – all industries; 10.5% increase

[from Statscan, ‘Labour Force Survey’, 2005, in Can. Tax. Fed., Ont. Pre-Budget Submission, 2006/2007]

Oshawa Property Taxes – 2007 to 2009

2007 2008 2009 Increase
Total 242.8 million 255.2 million 262.7 million 8.2%

City+Region 189.3 201.5 209.3 10.5%

City only 92 98.8 103.4 12.4%

Administration 11 11.5 16.5 50%

[from Oshawa Property Tax Bill, Information Pamphlets, 2007, 2008,2009]

Property Taxes by Building Size

Properties less than 2,000 square feet were assessed 36% more than properties of 2,000 sq. ft. or more, in 2001 and 2005.

[from Citizen’s Tax Reform Group, Pilot Project, Fixed Value Assessment System, 2007]

The Oshawa Taxpayers Federation appreciates any updates, informational pamphlets, studies, reports, etc. that you may have so that we may share as much information to the public as possible.

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