Equalization payments in Canada

Transfer payments
in Canada
Canada
Current arrangements
Repealed arrangements

In Canada, the federal government makes equalization payments to provincial governments of lesser fiscal capacity so that "reasonably comparable" levels of public services can be provided at similar levels of taxation.[1] Equalization payments are entrenched in the Constitution Act of 1982, subsection 36(2).[2]

The program is financed through the federal government's general revenues, which are largely sourced from federal taxes. Provincial governments make no contributions.[3]

Payment amounts are decided relative to a province's estimated fiscal capacity, or ability to generate tax revenues. A province that does not receive equalization payments is often referred to as a "have province", while one that does is called a "have-not province".[4]

In 2023–24, all provinces and territories will receive $94.6 billion in major federal transfers, including $23.96 billion in equalization payments in 6 provinces.[5]

The equalization program is one significant example of transfer payments from the federal to the provincial governments. The Canada Health Transfer (CHT) and the Canada Social Transfer (CST) are also notably large transfer programs.[6]

The territories are not included in the equalization program. Federal funding for them is instead provided through the Territorial Formula Financing (TFF) program.

  1. ^ "Equalization Program". Department of Finance, Government of Canada. December 19, 2011. Retrieved May 25, 2019.
  2. ^ Government of Canada (1982). "Constitution Act 1982, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982". Canada Justice Laws Website. Retrieved March 16, 2023. Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Government of Canada (December 19, 2011). "Equalization Program". Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  4. ^ Abedi, Maham (June 22, 2018). "Equalization payments — how they work". Global News. Global News. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  5. ^ Canada, Department of Finance (December 15, 2014). "Major federal transfers". aem. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  6. ^ Government of Canada (August 29, 2019). "Federal transfers to provinces and territories". Retrieved March 16, 2023.