Property Taxes
Property taxes make up the largest percentage of the City's revenue and are used to fund operations and capital projects.
Property Tax Notices are mailed each May and are due at the beginning of July. If you are living at your property and are eligible, ensure you complete your Home Owner Grant application before the tax due date. The Home Owner Grant is a provincial government program which reduces the amount of residential property taxes homeowners pay on their primary residence. By applying for the Home Owner Grant on the bottom of your tax notice, you are reducing your tax bill by up to $770 or $1,045 if you are 65 years old or over.
View 2023 Tax Rates
PAYING YOUR PROPERTY TAXES
| Property Taxes are due July 4, 2023. All eligible residential property owners can now claim their 2023 Home Owner Grant with the Province of British Columbia. Apply on or before July 4, 2023 to avoid a penalty on the grant portion of your property taxes. A 10% penalty will be levied to all accounts with outstanding balances on July 5, 2023. |
Property Tax Payment Options
1. Pay by Online Banking
You can pay your property taxes online through your financial institution's website. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for processing before the property tax due date. With most financial institutions, you can schedule your payment ahead of time.
Contact your financial institution directly if you require assistance or have questions about payment services.
How to Pay Your Castlegar Property Taxes Online
- Log onto the online banking platform of your financial institution.
- Set up City of Castlegar as the payee. Some banks may have the payee name Castlegar Property Tax or Castlegar Taxes or Castlegar, City - Property Tax.
- Use your 8 Digit Roll Number (without spaces or punctuation) that appears at the top right corner of your Property Tax Notice. Do not include the 201 prefix.
- Make sure the roll number on your tax notice is the same as the account number set up with your financial institution. Update your account with the correct roll number if you've recently purchased or sold a property. Payments made to the wrong account may be considered late.
- Print your payment confirmation number or record it on your statement for your records.
2. Pay Through Your Mortgage Company
If your Financial Institution/Mortgage company pays your property taxes, it is your responsibility to claim the Home Owner Grant prior to the due date. The City of Castlegar is not responsible for errors made by mortgage providers. Please ensure that your mortgage provider is aware you are claiming the Home Owner Grant (if applicable).
3. Paying by Mail
Mail your cheque along with the bottom portion of your tax notice to:
City of Castlegar
460 Columbia Avenue
Castlegar, BC V1N 1G7
Cheque Details
- Include your roll number on the cheque.
- Make payable to the City of Castlegar.
Payments must be received at City Hall on or before July 04, 2023. If your payment cannot be processed due to an error on a cheque, insufficient funds, or a returned item you will be charged a 10% late payment penalty. The City of Castlegar is not responsible for cheques that are lost or delayed in the mail. Postmarks will not be considered as date of payment and penalties will be assessed if payment is received after the due date. The City of Castlegar will not accept cash payments in the mail.
4. Paying in Person
24-Hour Drop-Off Box
A drop box is available for payments. It is located at the front entrance of City Hall. You can drop off your payment 24 hours a day, however all drop box payments for the 2023 property taxes received after 4:30 pm on July 04, 2023 will be considered late and a 10% late payment penalty will be applied. The City of Castlegar will not accept cash payments in the mail.
In-Person
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 4:30 pm (Excluding Holidays)
PROPERTY TAX PRE-PAYMENT PLAN
The City's tax prepayment plan allows you to make 10 monthly installments towards your next year's property taxes. Starting in August, we estimate what the following year's taxes will be and take a property tax installment directly from your bank account on the 15th of each month. When the property taxes are billed the following May, you will have a pre-paid balance which will be used to offset the property tax billing. For copies of the authorization form click here or visit City Hall (460 Columbia Avenue Castlegar, BC V1N1G7). If there are still taxes owing you must pay the balance owing and ensure that you have claimed your Home Owner Grant (if applicable).
PROPERTY TAX DEFERMENT
The Property Tax Deferment is a loan program administered by the Province of BC that assists qualifying BC homeowners in paying the annual property taxes on their homes.
All applications must be submitted directly to the province through their online application portal.
The time to apply for Property Tax Deferment is after you receive your annual Property Taxes. The deferment programs only cover the property tax portion of your bill. If the Provincial Property Deferment office determines you are not eligible for deferment or cancels your application for any reason, and it is past due, the Property Tax late penalties of 10% will apply.
For further information about the Tax Deferment Program:
- Contact the Provincial Property Tax Deferment Office at 888-355-2700
- Visit Defer Your Property Taxes webpage on the Provincial Government website
LATE PAYMENT PENALTY
You will be charged a late payment penalty if:
- you apply after the property tax due date
- your application is declined and it is past the property tax due date
- you sell your home before the taxes are paid on your behalf
- you cancel or withdraw your application for any reason after the tax due date and it is before the taxes are paid on your behalf
TAX SALE
If your property taxes are in a delinquent balance (by definition, a total of 3 years of unpaid taxes), your property may be subjected to Tax Sale, in accordance with the Province of British Columbia Local Government Act.
The annual tax sale takes place at 10am on the last Monday in September at the Council Chambers, which is located at 445-13th Avenue. As part of the tax sale process, an advertisement will be placed in local newspapers listing the properties to be sold. All properties with delinquent tax balances on the day of tax sale will be sold for taxes.
The tax sale is an open auction with bid acceptances from the floor. The highest bidder at or above the upset price shall be declared the purchaser. The purchaser has no legal rights to the property until one year has expired from the date of the tax sale. The owner has one year in which to redeem the property by paying back the upset price plus interest. Purchasers must pay by certified cheque or cash.
The City of Castlegar makes no comments or claim of knowledge about any of the parcels being sold at the annual tax sale and gives warning to all those who are thinking of bidding that they should exercise caution.
Avoid Tax Sale of Your Property
- Pay your property taxes and claim your Home Owner grant (if eligible) by the due date.
- Pay your delinquent taxes by the end of August to avoid your property from being listed in the newspaper.
- Pay your delinquent taxes, including interest before the annual tax sale to stop your property from going to tax sale.
For more information contact:
Email: Finance@castlegar.ca
Phone: 250-365-7227
RELATED LINKS:
- Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Plan Application
- Home Owner Grant
- Local Government Act (explaining Tax Sale Legislation)