Albertans pay the lowest taxes in Canada.
Claimed by: Commonly stated by Alberta independence advocates
Needs context: Accurate as written, but a key piece of context changes how it reads. How we rate.
Summary
By the provincial government's own measure of total tax burden, Albertans and Alberta businesses still pay the lowest overall provincial taxes, mainly because there is no sales tax. But the gap has shrunk sharply. Alberta dropped its single flat income tax rate in 2015, and middle-income earners can now pay more income tax than people in some other provinces. Some comparisons that account for benefits even put another province's burden lower for certain households. So the headline is broadly defensible on total burden, but the simple framing hides a narrowing and uneven picture.
Evidence
The Canada Revenue Agency's 2025 Alberta tax rates show the province now applies graduated brackets, from 8 percent on the first $60,000 of income up to 15 percent on the highest incomes, rather than the single flat rate it used before 2015.
The Fraser Institute finds Alberta's tax advantage has eroded, with the province now holding the 10th-highest top personal income tax rate in North America.
Reporting notes Alberta remains the lowest-tax jurisdiction overall on the no-sales-tax measure, but income taxes for many middle-class earners now exceed those in B.C. or Ontario.