News Release

November 1, 2000
Edmonton, Alberta

"We’ve heard your concerns over higher energy costs and we’ve listened."

Provincial Treasurer Steve West

Alberta’s Energy Tax Refund cheques start going out Nov. 27

Alberta’s Energy Tax Refund cheques will start being mailed out during the last week of November, Provincial Treasurer Steve West announced today.

He said the bulk of the cheques – about 90 per cent – will be delivered to eligible Albertans between November 27 and 30th. And a special cheque run will be made in February for those who made late address changes or filed their taxes too late to make the first run.

"We’ve worked hard to get this program underway. It’s a mammoth undertaking with more than 2.2 million Albertans receiving the refund," said West. "But we’re ready to roll now just as Albertans are receiving energy bills for the first month of winter."

West and Premier Ralph Klein announced Alberta’s $300 Energy Tax Refund program in September as a response to help Albertans deal with higher natural gas prices, fuel and other energy costs. It’s designed to help with those costs between September and March.

"That amounts to more than $40 a month that can be put toward home heating bills," said West. "We will re-examine the situation next year and in the years to come."

He added that this one-time funding is in addition to permanent personal income tax reductions that start on January 1, 2001 when Alberta’s new single rate system is fully in place, bringing tax reductions to $1.3 billion, or 20 per cent on average. As well, on January 1, education property taxes will be reduced by $135 million and business tax cuts of $955 million are scheduled to begin on April 1.

The $300 refund will be paid out in two $150 installments, the first in November, the second in April 2001. Alberta taxfilers 16 years of age and older who lived in the province on August 31 (for the first cheque) and April 1, 2001 (for the second cheque) are eligible.

Those who filed 1999 taxes on time and haven’t changed addresses will be among the 90 per cent of eligible Albertans to get their cheques in November. Others who’ve just recently filed taxes or changed their address too late for the November run will get their cheque in February. Anybody who feels they should have received a cheque but hasn’t by the second week of December should call Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA) toll free at 1-877-599-5107. This phone number won’t be in place until the cheques go out. For more information on the program, please call the Alberta Connects line at 310-4455.

Since the Alberta Energy Tax Refund was announced, the province has sent more than 20,000 information packages and simplified tax returns out to Albertans.

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