Alberta carbon tax calculator: How much will you pay — or get back?
The province's new carbon tax takes effect Jan. 1, 2017 and so do the income-based rebates
This tool will help you estimate how Alberta's new carbon tax will impact you.
Enter your average monthly fuel use in litres and home heating use in gigajoules (check your natural gas bill for that) to calculate your direct costs. Enter your grocery bill to estimate indirect costs. Then, to see if you'll get a rebate, enter your household details, based on how you file your taxes, and your net income (line 236 on your tax return).
Please note: The grocery bill is used to estimate your total indirect costs. Read more here about the assumptions and methodology.
Click on the little "i" icons for more information or to help figure out your estimates.
How does this calculator work?
Alberta's carbon tax takes effect Jan. 1 at a rate of $20 per tonne of CO2 emissions, and increases to $30 per tonne in 2018. It will directly raise the price of fossil fuels and is expected to indirectly increase the cost of things such as groceries. Many Albertans will also get carbon tax rebates, depending on income.
The calculations above are based on the Government of Alberta's published tax rates on fossil fuels and rebate formulas, as well as an estimate of the indirect cost impact the tax will have, based on a household's grocery bills. We have assumed a 1.5 per cent increase in indirect costs attributable to the carbon tax in 2017 and 2.25 per cent in 2018 (as compared to the 2016 baseline) on grocery bills as a proxy for total consumer spending. Read more on the methodology and assumptions here:
Marked farm fuels used for agricultural purposes — commonly known as "purple gas" — are exempt from the carbon levy.
Rebate eligibility is based on the net income of a household's latest federal tax return. The rebate program is administered by the Canada Revenue Agency and eligible households will receive the rebates automatically, through direct deposit where applicable. You do not need to apply for rebates.
Read more about the carbon tax and its impacts on Alberta families here:
- Happy New Year, Albertans: Here's your carbon tax bill
- Why Alberta's carbon tax isn't expected to increase electricity prices
This tool is meant to offer estimates only and does not provide an official tabulation of taxes or rebates. CBC is not responsible if your actual costs or rebates are different from the results you get here.