The Government of Alberta said on 30 October 2026 that Budget 2027 will “introduce one fair and stable provincial education property tax (EPT) rate that will be locked in every three years”. Municipalities collect the EPT on their property tax bills, and it helps fund public and separate schools.
The numbers
- Residential and farmland: $2.65 per $1,000 of assessed value.
- Non-residential: 1.5 times that, or $3.98 per $1,000.
- From 2027, municipalities will apply these rates directly to assessed values.
- Estimated overall savings: $98.7 million in 2027–28.
Worked example (our arithmetic at the announced rate): a home assessed at $450,000 would owe about $1,193 a year in provincial education tax. The province has not published a comparison with current bills.
Who pays more
With one rate for everyone, communities that now pay an effective rate below $2.65 will see it go up. The release acknowledges this. It promises a “one-time transition tax credit in 2027 to help families adjust” for those “in communities where the new provincial rate may be higher than their current local rate”. The province has not said which municipalities are affected, how big the credit will be, or what happens after 2027. It says “more information on rates, detailed calculations and municipal guidance will be shared before municipalities adopt their 2027 tax bylaws.”
A frozen rate is not a frozen bill. If a property’s assessment rises, its education tax rises too. Municipal property taxes are separate and not affected.
The release quotes Premier Danielle Smith, Jason Nixon (President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance) and Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams. It also quotes Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack and Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, who both welcomed the change.
