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No tax revolt brewing, says Premier John Horgan

Premier John Horgan says most British Columbians think the new school tax on homes valued over $3 million is fair. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

There’s no tax revolt brewing in B.C.

That’s according to Premier John Horgan, who spent another day fending off questions over a suite of tax measures introduced in the NDP’s 2018 budget.

West Side Vancouver homeowners have been blasting the government in recent weeks over its new school tax.

That measure applies an 0.2 per cent marginal tax rate to the portion of a home worth between $3 million and $4 million, and an 0.4 per cent rate on any portion above that.

On Tuesday, Horgan reiterated that he believes most British Columbians believe it is fair.

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“[Take the] example of a home on the West Side of Vancouver that have seen their property values go up just last year almost six percent on a $3 million home. That’s a realized gain of almost $200,000, and the tax burden will be about a thousand dollars,” Horgan said.
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“If you just took the gain you could have realized last year, you can pay the school tax for 200 years and still be ahead.”

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Horgan added that the upcoming MSP cut — and associated payroll tax — are also part of his government’s focus on making life affordable for everyone, something he says campaigned on and people voted for.

Last week, Attorney General David Eby postponed a town hall on the school tax in his riding over “security concerns,” after Opposition Leader Andrew Wilkinson and two real estate agencies issued public calls for people to attend.

Demonstrators instead staged a protest against the tax, which they say amounts to a tax on unrealized gains, in a nearby park.

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