Raymond calls for end to occupancy tax

Wednesday September 22, 2004

Halifax – Michele Raymond Halifax Atlantic MLA, and NDP critic for Municipal Affairs, is calling on government to end the business occupancy tax in this session of the legislature.

“This is seen by business as double taxation and may even deter investment because of the unfair nature of this added tax,� says Raymond. “Therefore, as they have promised, we are looking to the Tories to remove the tax in this session.�

Many organizations concerned with economic growth see the tax as unreasonable, for example the UNSM has unanimously agreed that the business occupancy tax is both costly and unfair to business. It should be noted that the federal government is already exempt from paying the tax on buildings it occupies.

“ The tax must be removed, but the government must not make the mistake of shifting the tax burden onto residential tax payers,� says Raymond. “Nova Scotia is the only province that continues to maintain the tax. It is a regressive, inefficient and unfair tax in anyone’s books and shouldn’t be on ours. The business community needs this type of backward taxation policy stopped and stopped now.�

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