Parents in Alberta are saving big on back-to-school shopping this year, thanks to the province being the only one in Canada without a provincial sales tax.The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says families are pocketing about $50 each in savings as students head back to class. “Alberta parents are still fighting rising prices, but they’re saving about $50 per family on back-to-school shopping because we don’t have PST in Alberta,” said Kris Sims, CTF’s Alberta director.With more than 825,000 students returning to school, the savings add up to roughly $22.6 million province-wide. .Parents will spend an average of $788 per student, according to a Deloitte survey, meaning even at half that level — about $394 — families save about $27 in PST per student.The tax-free advantage applies across a wide range of essentials, including clothes, shoes, backpacks, laptops, calculators, and phones. Sims noted that skipping PST on technology alone saves Albertans about $25 per laptop. “Back-to-school is more affordable in Alberta because parents aren’t being charged PST on almost everything they buy,” she said. “Alberta needs to stay PST-free.”.In other provinces, families face extra costs. In B.C., parents will pay about $50 each, totalling $16 million in PST this year. Saskatchewan families will pay about $46 each, adding up to $4.3 million. In Ontario, parents will pay about $62 for two students, for a total of $63 million across the province.Sims said Alberta’s PST-free advantage is clear and that parents should remember these savings whenever politicians revive calls for a provincial sales tax.
