A recent global trend in taxation has been to increase the tax rates of the highest income earners.
An addition more localized trend has been for the BC government to change provincial tax rates soon after similar changes in Ontario.
Recently, the BC Ministry of Finance added a temporary tax bracket for people who earn over $150,000, at 45.8%. This was announced soon after the Ontario government introduced their own tax for high income earners, at 49.53% for income above $514.090.
This summer, the Ontario government again increased taxes at the highest bracket. The top tax bracket of 49.53% now starts at $220,000, instead of $514,090. In addition, a new tax bracket was created for taxable income between $150,000 and $220,000, to be taxed at 47.97% up from 46.41%.
It will be interesting to see if the BC government does the same with their own tax rates in the coming years.