Prince George, B.C. – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business has released its latest report on the tax gap between residential and commercial properties in B.C.

The report shows that with the exception of three communities in the province, the 2013 commercial property tax rates were more than the rate  paid by  a residential property with the same assessed value.

The report ranks communities from best to worst in B.C. , with a tax gap rating of 1 being  an equal payment,  while  numbers over that mark indicate a multiplication of   the rate paid by  commercial property owners.

In Prince George, the tax gap rating is listed as 1.97 which, the CFIB says  means the  commercial property owner paid 1.97 times the amount charged to a  residential property with the same assessed value.  This “gap” put Prince George in 24^th place among the 161 communities examined.

Mackenzie scored much better, with a tax gap of 1.39, good enough to put it in  5^th spot , close to the top of the best communities.

At the top of the list, with tax gaps rated as 1,  meaning  commercial properties pay the same as  residential properties of the same assessed value,  are the communities of  Anmore,  Bowen Island and Warfield. The worst was North Saanich with a tax gap of 5.20

Here is how some of  the other communities  in the region fared:

“Overall, British Columbia’s property tax system continues to be hugely unfair for small business” says Richard Truscott, B.C. Director for CFIB. “It appears even more unbalanced when you compare the taxes paid to the level of services actually received by residents versus businesses”

The CFIB is releasing the report now, with hopes  those who are vying for a position on municipal government will  adopt taxation policies that are more business friendly.