The Tiff about TIFs: The Opportunities, Mechanics, and Challenges of Tax Increment Financing in Canadian Cities

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is among the new financing approaches being considered by city governments in Canada to finance their share of infrastructure spending. Can cities in Canada rely on the revenues generated by TIF? What are the mechanics of assessing the uplift from a TIF before a project is implemented? How much money has it actually raised in practice? On August 24, 2016, the Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) and the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI) brought together a panel of experts to discuss these and other questions related to the implementation of tax increment financing for Canadian cities.

SPEAKERS

• Adam Found, C.D. Howe Institute, Author of “Tapping the Land: Tax Increment Financing of Infrastructure”
• Murtaza Haider, Ryerson University, Author of “Can Tax Increment Financing Support Transportation Infrastructure Investment?”
• Larry Hummel, International Property Tax Institute, Director of Assessment Services

MODERATOR

• Paul Sanderson, International Property Tax Institute, President