A new study released on Wednesday says that the idea that Alberta is the lowest taxed region in the continent is no longer true.

The report, from the Fraser Institute, says that the provincial NDP have raised corporate taxes and restructured personal income taxes resulting in the wealthier paying more.

As a result, the group says this is slowing the investment of money and people into the province.

Since the NDP took office, the corporate tax rate has gone up to 12 percent, which puts Alberta in a tie with Saskatchewan but passing B.C., Ontario and Quebec.

The 10 percent flat rate has been removed and replaced with a five-tiered scale, with the highest earners paying 15 percent.

Now, Albertans have gone from having the lowest personal tax load to sitting in the middle of the pack.

The Fraser Institute says that changes have resulted in the province being a less attractive place for new businesses, jobs and manpower.

“The key is to understand the extent of how much Alberta’s tax advantage has for a long time helped drive investment to the province and has helped attract people to come live and work,” said Ben Eisen with the group.

“The erosion of that tax advantage loses our competitive advantage for attracting people and investment so it is certainly a negative and it undermines our growth prospects going forward.”

Now while the agency does say that the province’s financial problems began long before the NDP took office, raising personal and corporate taxes isn’t the way to do it.

The Fraser Institute’s report says the best and least damaging way to raise money would be through a sales tax, where even a one percent tax would put a billion dollars in the province’s coffers.