LETHBRIDGE, AB: The Canadian Taxpayers is highlighting the savings for Alberta parents during back-to-school shopping because Alberta is the only province that’s PST-free.

“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 Alberta Director. “The next time academics and some politicians start chattering for a sales tax in Alberta, parents should remember how savings like these add up.”

Alberta has more than 825,000 students who are returning to school within the next two weeks.

Parents will spend an average of $788 on back-to-school supplies per student, according to a Deloitte survey.

If Alberta parents spend even half that much, about $394, they are saving about $27 in PST per student. Across the province, families are saving about $22.6 million by not having to pay a PST while shopping for school supplies.

That’s because families aren’t paying a seven per cent PST on things like clothes, shoes, backpacks, notebooks, calculators, lunch bags, laptops and phones.

“The provincial sales tax we don’t pay on tech for school is really noticeable, since Albertans are saving about $25 per laptop,” Sims said. “Back-to-school is more affordable in Alberta because parents aren’t being charged PST on almost everything they buy.

“Alberta needs to stay PST-free.”

Here’s how Alberta’s savings stack up when compared to some other provinces:

British Columbia charges a seven per cent PST. Certain school supplies are PST-exempt, however, shoppers must go through a complex system to avoid the tax. For example, “Bags specifically designed to carry schoolbooks and supplies” aren’t charged PST, but backpacks, knapsacks, and tote bags are charged the tax. Families in B.C. will pay about $50 each in PST, totalling about $16 million in PST on back-to-school supplies this year.

Saskatchewan charges a six per cent PST and it applies to nearly all back-to-school supplies such as pens, shoes, clothes and most tech. Some exceptions exist. Saskatchewan’s sales tax is charged on maps, but not atlases. The sales tax is applied to computer software for reading books, but not the eBooks themselves. Saskatchewan shoppers will pay about $46 per family in PST, totalling about $4.3 million in PST on back-to-school supplies this year.

Ontario charges an eight per cent provincial retail sales tax. Some exemptions for children’s clothing and children’s shoes costing less than $30 exist in Ontario, but they are few and the exemption often must be flagged by the shopper. Families in Ontario will pay about $62 in provincial retail sales tax for two students, spending about $63 million across the province in retail sales tax on back to school supplies this year.