Prepare for life to get more expensive if you rent a car or stay somewhere overnight in Alberta — and for taxes to go up on the home you’re currently living in, too.

The rental car tax is brand new this year. Provincial property tax rates are going up sharply. And your wallet could also be hit by a variety of other fees you’re more familiar with — from traffic fines to historic site admission fees.

And if you’re a senior or have one in your life, there are details in this budget you’ll want to keep an eye on.

Here are five ways that Alberta’s 2026 budget could impact you.

Vehicle rental tax

Alberta’s budget introduces a new tax on vehicle rentals in the province, set at six per cent of the base price of the rental vehicle.

It will apply to passenger vehicles that seat eight or fewer people. Vehicles under long-term leases and large vans or commercial vehicles like trucks will be excluded. 

This tax is expected to come into effect in January 2027, and the government expects it will bring in $36 million in its first full year in effect. 

British Columbia also has a vehicle rental tax of about $1.50 per day.

Property tax increase

This year’s budget sees another increase to the provincial portion of property taxes that helps fund education, part of the province’s goal to increase the portion of education funding that comes from that tax.

The province’s requisition is projected to increase to $3.6 billion in this year’s budget from $3.1 billion last year, or about a 16-per-cent increase.

How that will translate into an increase on your tax bill depends on where you live in the province, because property values range widely. 

For a median Calgary homeowner’s annual property tax bill, the province expects a $28 increase per month. In Edmonton, the increase is expected to be nearly $13 a month.

Numbers for other municipalities were not immediately available.

A full one-third of education operating costs will now be funded by the education property tax, up from a historic low three years ago of around 30 per cent.

Tourism levy

The province’s tourism levy is also set to increase to six per cent from four per cent. That’s the tax when you settle your bill at a hotel, motel or inn in the province. 

Revenue from that tax is projected to reach $200 million in 2026-27 before rising to $214 million the following year.

The province notes this tourism tax still ranks lower than most provinces in the country, tied at the bottom of the list with Saskatchewan. 

The increase to vehicle rentals and hotel visits come as Alberta government is seeking to double tourism revenues in Alberta to $25 billion by 2035.

Other fee increases, wine tax dropped

Several other taxes are also set to increase. Among them, fines for excessive speeding, racing and stunting are increasing by 30 to 50 per cent.

Fees for apprenticeship education, trade qualifiers, Blue Seal and Red Seal certifications will all increase to $150. 

Admission fees for provincial historical sites will rise from a range of $9 to $50 to a range of $11 to $55.

Last year’s budget introduced a “value added” fee on wine, which rose the more expensive a bottle was. Industry groups had called for it to be dropped. 

This year’s budget eliminates that model, instead increasing the standard volume-based markup by around 43 cents per bottle.

Cuts for seniors

The income threshold to apply for the Alberta Seniors Benefit is being adjusted by nine per cent effective July 1, paired with reductions for special needs assistance for seniors. 

Under the benefit, low-income seniors get money to help them with their monthly living expenses. Prior to the change, a single senior with an annual income of $34,770 was eligible for the benefit, as were senior couples with a combined annual income of $56,820 or less.

With the nine-per-cent reduction, a single senior’s income must be below $31,636 to receive the benefit, while a senior couples’ income must be below $51,706.

The grant component of seniors’ home adaptation and repair program thresholds will also be cut. 

Tax credits for Alberta caregivers will also be cut. 

The province plans to consolidate two existing tax credits for caregivers into a new credit, which the government is referring to as the Alberta Caregiver Credit. The merger will take place at the start of next year, and the government says it will better align the eligibility of the credit with the Canada Caregiver Credit. 

Eligibility will be focused on those who care for relatives with mental or physical infirmities. 

While it will be available for those who care for an infirm spouse, those who previously claimed a credit for a non-infirm senior parent or grandparent living with them would no longer be eligible.

The government expects to save $12 million a year by making the change, which, in effect, will mean nearly 30 per cent less being doled out to Albertans through tax credits than last year.