Commercial ratepayers in Alberta can expect a 4.25 per cent jump in their education property taxes this year. The provincial government aims to collect an extra $468 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year as part of its plan to cover one third of education operating expenses through the levy.

The increase — boosting the non-residential education property tax rate to $4.17 per $1,000 of assessed value — was confirmed in the newly released 2026-27 Alberta budget. It also announces a 2 per cent bump up in the tourism levy applied on hotel, motel and other short-term accommodation rates, and various fee increases that are expected to raise an additional $400 million in revenue during the 2026-27 fiscal year.

This is the second consecutive year education property taxes have climbed, following a 6.4 per cent rise in 2025 that pushed the non-residential rate from $3.76 to $4.00 per $1,000 of assessed value. Meanwhile, residential ratepayers swallowed a slightly lower 6.25 per cent increase last year, taking their education property tax rate up to $2.72 per $1,000 of assessed value, and will see a 4.4 per cent escalation in 2026 when the rate rises to $2.84 per $1,000 of assessed value.

“In 2026-27, the education property tax will fund 33.4 per cent of education operating costs, increasing funding from the historically low levels of less than 30 per cent in 2023-24 and 2024-25,” the budget document states.

Provincially mandated licenses and registrations will cost Alberta businesses and charities 33 per cent more beginning in 2026 — resetting required service fees to a range from $223 to $2,660. There will be an additional 3 per cent increase for corporate registries fees.

Some businesses that rent public lands are in line for hefty new expenses. Most notably, aerodrome operators face a hundredfold rate spike from $2.30 to $230 per acre. As well, public land rental rates for commercial and industrial work camps and some other unspecified uses are tapped to jump by up to 65 per cent.

Other announced fee increases will filter through to the real estate, facilities management and construction sectors. These include:

• increases of $25 to $75 in the fee schedule for residential tenancy dispute resolution services;
• increases of $3 to $45 for land titles fees;
• and a new $25 charge for resubmissions of land titles and surveys.

Information requests, certificates and other approval processes related to compliance with the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act or Water Act will also cost more.

Application fees for five types of trades training will be standardized at $150. That represents:

• a 328 per cent, or $115 increase for the apprenticeship education program;
• a 150 per cent, or $90 application fee increase for trade qualifier programs;
• a 200 per cent or $100 increase to apply for blue seal trades training; and
• brand new $150 fees attached to entrance exams and applications for red seal trades training.

Elsewhere on the labour and economic development front, efforts to attract entrepreneurs and talent for prioritized professional fields or industry sectors will adjunctly become a revenue-generating mechanism. A new $135 “expression of interest fee” will be introduced for applicants for permanent residency through the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program.

Business and recreational travellers will pay more for overnight stays at hotels, motels or other short-term accommodations beginning April 1 when the provincial tourism levy climbs from 4 to 6 per cent. This is projected to generate an additional $66 million in revenue over the course of the 2026-27 fiscal year.

Travel costs will rise still more for those who rent small passenger vehicles beginning in January 2027. The Alberta government plans to collect a new 6 per cent car rental tax that’s expected to yield about $36 million when it’s in effect for the full 2027-28 fiscal year. Legislation to authorize the surcharge — intended to apply on car rental rates, excluding the federal goods and services tax (GST) and line items for insurance and fuel costs — will be introduced later this year.

“The new tax will be a stable source of revenue and generate revenue from visitors to Alberta,” the budget document states. “Vehicles under long-term leases, as well as non-passenger vehicles such as cargo vans, moving trucks and similar types of vehicles, will be excluded from the tax.”

Sightseeing and educational field trips to provincial historic sites will also cost more. Admission fees are set to rise by $2 to $5.