One of the permanently installed trailers at Camping Beausejour in Shediac, New Brunswick, that have attracted the attention ofprovincial property tax assessors.
A campground owner in Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada, will not allow provincial property tax assessors onto her property until she gets more information about the government’s plans to tax large trailers.
Many New Brunswick campground operators are worried people who own large, cottagelike trailers may soon have to pay property tax, CBC News, New Brunswick, reported.
Provincial tax assessors are visiting parks, counting the number of large, permanently installed trailers that are parked in campgrounds.
Marie-Paul Martin, the owner of Camping Beauséjour in Shediac, said she won’t allow an assessor into her campground until she gets more information about the provincial government’s plans to tax these units.
“He knows I pay my property tax. How come he’s here to assess some more … because he just came here in spring,” Martin said.
“I said, ‘Well, I already pay tax, they pay tax, so you’re not coming in.’ That’s it, turned him around.”
Sophie Belliveau, the manager of Ocean Surf Trailer Park in Shediac, said a tax assessor also came to her park a few days ago and she wants to know why.
“Where are you going with this, what are the plans? If you’re going to go ahead with this, I hope not, but if you are, how can we get ready?” she said.
Frances Blackiere owns one of these trailers that are being counted by the provincial government. She said many people who own these larger units are seniors.
“What they are doing is taking what little money they have and enjoying it and buying something a little better than what they would have had when they were young, then they do that at an elderly age and they get taxed for it,” Blackiere said.
No decision on whether to tax
A provincial government official said the assessors are just counting the trailers parked at campgrounds.
Craig Chouinard, the director of corporate operations with the Department of Government Services, said the provincial government is only looking at the large, cottage-like units.
Many of the trailers require a special permit to travel on provincial highways.
The large trailers are fairly new to the market and aren’t currently taxed.
Chouinard said no decision has been made on whether they’ll be subject to property tax.
This isn’t the first time this season that campground operators have had questions for the provincial government.
In April, some campground owners said they were concerned the Department of Tourism was going to impose a 3% levy.
The Department of Tourism said at the time no final decision had been made on a new levy.
