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Income tax in Alberta starts at 8% on your first $61,200 of taxable income in 2026, and the top provincial rate is 15% above $370,220. You pay that to the province on top of federal tax, and both come out of the same return. On $80,000 of income our calculator shows about $15,250 in combined income tax, before CPP and EI.
What are the Alberta tax brackets for 2026?
Alberta.ca lists six brackets. The lowest one is new since 2025, and the province says that in 2026 thresholds and credit amounts rise by 2%.
| Taxable income | Alberta rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $61,200 | 8% |
| $61,200 to $154,259 | 10% |
| $154,259 to $185,111 | 12% |
| $185,111 to $246,813 | 13% |
| $246,813 to $370,220 | 14% |
| Over $370,220 | 15% |
Only the dollars inside each band get that rate. Earning $70,000 doesn’t put the whole amount at 10%. The first $61,200 stays at 8% and only the last $8,800 is taxed at 10%. That works out to $4,896 plus $880, or $5,776 of Alberta tax before credits.
How much tax do you pay on $80,000 in Alberta?
We ran a few salaries through the income tax calculator. The amounts are federal plus Alberta income tax with the basic personal amounts only, so they leave out CPP, EI and any other credits you’d claim.
| Income | Federal | Alberta | Total | Share of income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $4,697 | $2,178 | $6,875 | 13.8% |
| $80,000 | $10,293 | $4,954 | $15,247 | 19.1% |
| $120,000 | $18,655 | $8,954 | $27,610 | 23.0% |
Ontario at the same $80,000 comes to $15,497 in the same tool, so about $250 more. Part of that gap is Ontario’s health premium, which has no Alberta equivalent in our data.
Say Jordan in Red Deer earns $80,000. Roughly $15,250 goes to income tax over the year, which is a little under $1,300 a month. That’s before CPP and EI come off the paycheque, so the take-home is smaller again.
What is your tax rate on the next dollar?
That’s a different number from the average. It’s the one that matters when you’re weighing a raise, overtime or an RRSP deduction, because every extra dollar gets taxed at the top rate you’ve reached and never at your average. The marginal tax rate calculator gives 22% at $50,000 (14% federal plus 8% Alberta), 30.5% at $80,000 and 36% at $120,000.
So a $5,000 RRSP deduction saves about $1,100 at $50,000 and about $1,525 at $80,000. Try your own figures in the RRSP calculator.
What does Alberta give you back?
The basic personal amount is $22,769 for 2026, and the province says it has the highest basic and spousal amounts in the country. Multiply it by the lowest rate and you get a credit of about $1,821, which is taken off your Alberta tax. Age and pension credits exist too, and the CRA’s 2026 TD1AB form is where their amounts are printed.
Families with lower incomes may get the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, paid quarterly in August, November, February and May. It’s a payment, not a deduction, and you’ll find the federal side in the Canada Child Benefit calculator.
Is there anything else Alberta leaves out?
Yes, and it’s worth a line. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so a purchase carries only the 5% federal GST. That doesn’t touch your income tax, but it’s part of why people compare Alberta’s total bill with other provinces.
What do people get wrong about Alberta tax?
The first mistake is thinking Alberta’s rates are the whole bill. Federal tax is larger at every income in the table above. The second is forgetting that the CRA collects Alberta income tax for the province, so there’s no separate Alberta return to file.
Then there’s self-employment. If you work for yourself, you pay both halves of CPP and may owe instalments during the year. Our self-employed tax calculator is a fair starting point, but it lowers income tax when you add deductions and not CPP, and it leaves out EI. The tax instalments calculator shows four equal payments, which is only one of the options the CRA offers.
Bracket edges shift every year.
Alberta indexed by 2% in 2026, so last year’s figures are out of date. When the 2027 numbers are published, check them before you plan around these.
Where we got these figures
Brackets and the indexing note come from the Government of Alberta’s personal income tax page. The basic personal amount and the federal 2026 brackets come from the CRA‘s tax rates page and payroll tables for 2026. Estimates come from our calculators. No level of government runs or endorses this site.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lowest Alberta tax rate in 2026?
8% on the first $61,200 of taxable income, according to Alberta.ca.
Do I file a separate Alberta tax return?
No. The CRA administers Alberta's personal income tax, so provincial tax is worked out on your one return.
What is the Alberta basic personal amount for 2026?
$22,769, from the CRA's 2026 payroll tables. It's multiplied by 8% to give a credit.
How are Alberta brackets changing in 2026?
Alberta.ca says thresholds and credit amounts rise by 2% in 2026.
Is there an Alberta benefit for families?
The Alberta Child and Family Benefit is paid quarterly to lower income families with children.
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill
- Alberta income tax and GST in 2026
How Alberta income tax works in 2026: six brackets, an 8% credit rate, no provincial sales tax, no surtax or health premium, and Alberta calculators