BC Greens say wealth tax would hit under 2,500 households and apply retroactively
The BC Green Party published a FAQ on October 11 adding new details to its Fair Share Act plan, including an exit tax, payment deferral, and a retroactive start date.
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The BC Green Party published a FAQ on October 11 adding detail to its Fair Share Act wealth tax plan. The party says the tax would apply to under 2,500 households in British Columbia, apply the one-time component retroactively, include an exit tax for households that leave the province, and allow those affected to defer payment for up to five years.
Emily Lowan, the party's leader and candidate for Saanich North and the Islands, announced the Fair Share Act on October 5. The FAQ, published on the party's own website, is the party's own document and every figure in it comes from the BC Green Party, not from an independent body.
How many households the party says it would affect
The BC Green Party says the Fair Share Act would affect under 2,500 households. These are households the party describes as holding net wealth above $50 million, the starting threshold for the tax.
The party has not published how it calculated that figure.
The exit tax and retroactive start
The BC Green Party's FAQ says the one-time component of the tax applies retroactively to the previous tax year. The party says this is to make sure every household above the threshold pays the one-time levy regardless of when a government passes the legislation.
The FAQ also says an exit tax would apply to any household with wealth above $50 million that leaves the province. The party says the exit tax is meant to stop those households from moving their assets to avoid paying. The FAQ does not state what rate the exit tax would charge.
Payment deferral
The party says households affected could defer payment for up to five years, with interest charged during that period. The party describes the interest as modest but does not state a specific rate. The FAQ says this is intended for households with high net wealth but limited liquid cash.
How a voter can use this
The BC Greens are one of three parties whose platforms voters can compare before the October 24 vote. The party's candidate for each district is listed at /bc/provincial-2026/news. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21 at places listed on elections.bc.ca.
Questions this story answers
What new details did the BC Greens release about the Fair Share Act on October 11?
On October 11, 2026, the BC Green Party published a FAQ adding operational detail to the Fair Share Act it announced on October 5. The new details include how many households the party says would be affected (under 2,500), a payment deferral option of up to five years, an exit tax for wealthy households leaving BC, and confirmation that the one-time tax component applies retroactively to the previous tax year. All of these details come from the party's own publication and have not been independently verified.
How many households would the Fair Share Act affect, according to the BC Greens?
The BC Green Party says in its October 11 FAQ that the Fair Share Act would affect under 2,500 households in British Columbia. These are the households the party says hold net wealth above $50 million, which is the starting threshold for the tax. The party does not provide a breakdown of how it arrived at that figure, and no independent body has verified the count. This figure comes from the party's own publication.
What is the exit tax in the Fair Share Act?
The BC Green Party's October 11 FAQ says the Fair Share Act includes an exit tax on households with wealth above $50 million that leave the province. The party says this is designed to stop wealthy households from moving their assets out of BC to avoid the tax. The party does not state what rate the exit tax would charge or how it would be calculated. These details come from the party's own FAQ and have not been independently verified.
Can households defer payment of the Fair Share Act tax?
The BC Green Party's October 11 FAQ says households affected by the Fair Share Act could defer payment for up to five years, with interest charged during that period. The party describes the interest as modest but does not specify a rate. The party says the deferral option is intended for situations where a household has high net wealth but limited liquid cash. These details come from the party's own publication and have not been independently checked.
Does the Fair Share Act apply retroactively?
The BC Green Party's October 11 FAQ says the one-time component of the Fair Share Act would apply retroactively to the previous tax year. The party says this is to ensure every household above the $50 million threshold pays the one-time levy regardless of when the legislation passes. The annual tax component is not described as retroactive in the FAQ. These details come from the party's own publication.
What are the tax rates in the Fair Share Act?
The BC Green Party says the one-time component charges 5 per cent on net wealth above $50 million, 10 per cent above $100 million, and 20 per cent above $1 billion. The annual recurring component charges 2 per cent, 3 per cent, and 5 per cent on the same thresholds. These rates were announced October 5 and confirmed in the October 11 FAQ. They are the party's own figures and have not been independently verified.
What would the revenue from the Fair Share Act fund?
The BC Green Party says the Fair Share Act would raise $22.2 billion in the first year and $5.4 billion in each following year. The party says these funds would go to universal childcare, free public transit, affordable housing, and provincial debt reduction. The party has not published a detailed spending breakdown for the $5.4 billion annual figure. All revenue projections and intended uses come from the party's own publications and have not been independently audited.
Who is Emily Lowan and where can I read her candidate profile?
Emily Lowan is the leader of the BC Green Party and the party's candidate for Saanich North and the Islands in the October 24, 2026, provincial election. She announced the Fair Share Act on October 5. You can read her full candidate profile at [/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/emily-lowan](/bc/provincial-2026/candidates/emily-lowan). Voting day is October 24, and advance voting runs from October 16 to 21.
When is voting day in the BC provincial election?
Voting day in the British Columbia provincial election is Saturday, October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs from October 16 to 21, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. You can find your voting place and check your registration at elections.bc.ca. If you want to compare what each party has promised on taxes and other issues, you can read coverage at [/bc/provincial-2026/news](/bc/provincial-2026/news).
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