Property Tax FAQ

The following list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are meant to provide answers to questions that are commonly asked of our Tax staff.

Where is City Hall Located?

City of Kelowna
1435 Water Street
Kelowna, BC V1Y 1J4

What are your hours? 

City Hall is open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Monday through Friday.

The newspapers said my Property Tax increase would be 1.95%, why is my tax increase higher?

The City of Kelowna tax increase of 1.95% in on the average assessment increase of 25%. It is important to note that the 1.95% is only the Municipal tax portion. All other taxing authorities such as Regional Districts, Hospitals and Schools set their own rates. The City of Kelowna does not control their rates, they only collect this money on their behalf.

Can I determine what I owe on my Property Tax from the website?

Once on the web site:
1. Click on Online Payments and Services
2. Click on Property Tax and Assessment Query
3. To search by Civic Address, type in house # and street name then click on Search by address
4. You will see Your Property Tax Roll Account
5. Look under the Property Tax Roll Information to determine what is owed on Account. 

Can I pay my taxes using post-dated cheques? 

Yes, but in order to avoid any penalty on outstanding taxes, your cheque should not be post-dated beyond the initial due date. In 2005 the initial due date is July 4, 2005. After this date current outstanding taxes are subject to a 5% penalty.

The second due date is August 2, 2005. After this date current outstanding taxes are subject to an additional 5% penalty. Check your tax notices for the exact dates involved each year.

Cheques that are not negotiable due to errors made by the payer will be considered returned cheques. All returned cheques are subject to a City of Kelowna Administrative fee of $20.00, possible service fee from your bank, and a City of Kelowna late penalty if they are not replaced by the tax due dates.

Can I pay my taxes at my bank?

Yes, in person or online. Banking institutions do not accept post-dated cheques. Remember to take the entire remittance portion of the original tax notice (not a photo copy or reprint) with you. This remittance portion is returned to us by the banks; if you are applying for the Provincial Home Owner Grant, you should complete the application that is part of the remittance portion of the tax notice.

Some banks will also allow for the telephone payment of City of Kelowna Property Taxes; call your bank to determine if this option is available to you. When paying taxes by telephone, you must remember to mail your Provincial Home Owner Grant application to City Hall separately or claim it online. This application should reach us before the tax due date to ensure that no penalty is incurred on the grant amount. DO NOT mail the Home Owner Grant application to the bank.

When paying online or by telephone banking, ensure that you are paying “City of Kelowna Taxes” NOT “City of Kelowna Utilities”.

Can I pay by credit card? 

No, we do not accept credit card payments, however we do accept cheques from credit card companies. City Hall cashiers accept debit cards, money orders and cheques (current or post-dated to the appropriate due date) and cash.

Are there any other payment options available?

The Parkinson Recreation Centre has a drop box located inside the building at their front counter. There are also two night deposit boxes at City Hall. The first is just to the right of the main doors and the second is at the parking lot exit on Doyle Avenue. Payments, via cheque or money order can be left in these deposit boxes. Please remember to include the remittance portion of your tax notice, especially if you are applying for the Provincial Home Owner Grant. Please record your tax roll number (found on both the ‘keep' and remittance portions of your tax notice) on the face of your cheque so that we can ensure that your account is properly credited.

Is there a Payment Plan available for Property Taxes? 

Monthly Pac:

The City of Kelowna does have a Property Tax Prepayment plan. This plan enables taxpayers to prepay their next year's property taxes. Current year's taxes must be paid before the City can accept prepayments on the next year's taxes.

The plan pays simple interest at a rate of 3% below the Royal Bank’s prime rate. This interest is considered a tax discount by Revenue Canada and is not subject to income tax.

The plan calls for deductions from your bank account, on the 10th of the month, for every month except June. June is used as a catch-up month where the taxpayer applies for the Provincial Home Owner Grant (where eligible) and pays the remaining tax amount still outstanding.

The minimum monthly instalment is $25.00. The maximum is dependent on the prior year's levy for that property.

Tax prepayments are prepaid to the tax account of the property and will not be reversed if you move or sell your home. Your attorney will adjust your sales costs to account for any prepayments you have made.

Random Payments:

Taxpayers may make random prepayments of their next year's taxes at any time before the current tax notices are mailed. The City will pay the same interest as on the monthly instalment plan.

For more information about the Property Tax Prepayment Plan, please contact the Tax Department of City Hall at 469-8757.

Am I eligible for the Provincial Home Owner grant? 

Basic eligibility requirements:

• You must be a Canadian Citizen or landed immigrant.
• You must be a BC resident.
• You must own the property when you apply for the grant.
• You must occupy the dwelling as your principal residence when you apply for the grant.
• You and your spouse together can only apply for one grant in a calendar year.
• You may be required to provide proof of ownership and/or residency.
• Your application may be reviewed at a later date.

It is an offence to claim a grant if you are not residing on the property, or if you are otherwise not eligible (subject to a penalty of up to $10,000 to make a false application for a Provincial Home Owner Grant.)

If the owner recently died, can I still apply for the Provincial Home Owner Grant? 

If you lived with the deceased at the time of death and continue to reside at residence, then you may apply for the grant if the following applies:

• You are the spouse or relative of the owner who died in the current calendar year.
• You are a permanent resident of BC.
• The residence remains registered in the name of the deceased.

Please ensure that you bring a copy of the death certificate when applying for the grant. Note that you may claim the additional grant amount, only if the deceased would have been eligible for that amount. For example, if the deceased would have been 65 years of age or older in the current calendar year, then you may claim the higher grant amount.

I have lived here for many years but have never applied for the Provincial Home Owner grant. Can I claim for prior years? 

If you failed to apply for a grant during the current tax year you may request a RetroActive Provincial Home Owner grant. You may only apply for the previous year's grant; grants from years prior to the one most previous year are not available.

In order to apply for a RetroActive grant, you must be able to prove that you lived on the property at December 31st of the previous year. This can be done by providing copies of utility bills (with stubs attached) as close to the month of December of the previous year that show that the bill was mailed to you at the address you are requesting the grant. Legitimate mail such as Fire Insurance policy, bank statements, income tax statements, and medical bills must coincide with owner’s name and civic address.

Former owners are not eligible for the RetroActive Provincial Home Owner grant. Only current owner(s) can apply for, and receive, a RetroActive grant. Once an owner sells his or her property, he or she is no longer eligible to request an extension of time (apply for a RetroActive grant) because they are no longer the 'owner' as provided for in the Home Owner Grant Act.

In all cases, the owner applying for the RetroActive grant must pay, or have paid, the minimum tax amount to the municipality. In most cases the minimum tax amount is $350.00 plus garbage collection and landfill charges (where applicable) for the regular grant. For the additional (over 65 years of age) grant, the minimum tax amount is $100.00 plus garbage collection and landfill charges (where applicable).

Can I still apply for the Provincial Home Owner Grant without making a payment? 

Yes, you may apply for the grant without making a payment to help reduce the total late payment penalty. Please apply for the grant before the tax due date even if you are unable to make a tax payment.

For example, if your total taxes payable amount to $1,000 and you are eligible for a grant of $470, the net due is $530. If you apply for the grant before the initial penalty date, but do not make a payment, the total of both 5% penalties would be $53.If you did not apply for the grant before the initial due date, and the entire $1,000 is left outstanding at both the initial penalty date and the second penalty date, the penalties incurred would be $50 after July 4th, 2005 and $50 after August 2, 2005, for a total of $100 in penalties.

My bank pays my taxes. Why do I still receive a tax bill? 

All property owners are notified of tax levies. If you are eligible for the Provincial Home Owner Grant, use the remittance stub to apply for the grant or apply online at www.kelowna.ca .

Should I send my Provincial Home Owner Grant application to my bank? 

No, grant applications should be sent to City Hall. Your bank will send the payment portion separately. You will be charged a 5% penalty on the grant amount if the application form is not received at City Hall by the first penalty date in early July. Check your tax notice for the exact date.

You will be charged an additional 5% penalty on the grant amount if the application form is not received at City Hall by the second penalty date in early August. Check your tax notice for the exact date.

Myself and another person own the property and both of us received a tax notice. Do we both pay? 

If the tax roll number is the same, then you make one (1) payment for one (1) physical property. Each owner receives a bill for notification purposes only.

The Owner who resides on the property should use the tax notice with his name on it to claim the PHOG.

If the bill for my property is not in my name, who pays the tax bill? 

If you recently purchased the property, you are responsible for the Property Taxes and therefore you must pay the full amount on the bill and apply for the grant (if eligible) by the due date. Attorneys for buyers and sellers of property normally adjust the purchase/sale price to account for the property taxes that are the responsibility of either the buyer or seller.

If I am selling my home, who should apply for the Provincial Home Owner’s Grant? If a property is sold, who applies for the grant? 

If you have not yet sold the property, and you still live on the property, then you should apply for the grant. If you have already sold the property, and the new owner(s) live on the property, then the new owner(s) should apply for the grant (assuming that they did not apply for the grant on a prior residence in the same year).

The property taxes were paid by the lawyer. What do I need to do?

Ask your lawyer if you are responsible for applying for the Provincial Home Owner' Grant. If you are the new owner and you are to apply for the grant, you will need to attach a copy of your Registered Form A Freehold Transfer to the grant application. Please ensure that your grant application is at City Hall - Tax Department before the initial penalty date to avoid penalties.

My mailing address has changed. Will you change my address so that future tax notices are mailed to my new address?

City of Kelowna Property Tax staff can complete a ‘Change of Owner's Mailing Address' form on your behalf which will then be forwarded to the BC Assessment Authority. Our system should register a change of mailing address in approximately eight (8) weeks.

We can do this for you; over the telephone, please call City Hall at 469-8757; visit City Hall in person; forward your request in writing, include the roll number of the property, the previous mailing address, the new mailing address, your printed name and a signature. This request can be sent to City Hall - Tax Department; or forwarded directly to BC Assessment at:

• BC Assessment#201,
• 1912 Enterprise Way
• Kelowna, BC V1Y 9S9
• Fax: 250-861-6136

It is important to note that this refers to change in mailing address only. If a taxpayer no longer owns a specific property, the change in ownership will be picked up when BC Assessment is provided information from the Land Titles office.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

I am going to be 65 (born in 1940) after the tax due date of July 4th this year, can I claim larger Grant?

Yes

I have a disability; do I get a tax break?

If you are a property owner and have a permanent disability, or you are the spouse or relative of a person with a permanent disability who resides in your home, you may be eligible for an additional grant.

If you are receiving a disability allowance for a level 2 disability, then you would need a consent form for release of information from your social worker, available at their office or City of Kelowna office.

I can only pay part of my taxes, what should I do?

Claim your home owner grant if applicable and send it in with the partial payment. You will receive a penalty on the outstanding balance, (July 5th - 5%, August 3rd - 5%) then there will be no more charges until January 1st 2006, so you have time to pay off the balance without further charges.

I own a house in Kelowna and my daughter lives in at the Civic Address. Can she claim the grant?

She can only claim the grant if her name appears on the title.

I just got a tax notice for a house I sold. What should I do?

If possible, please give it to the new owner, or return to us with a note that you sold the property.

I think my taxes are too high. Can I appeal them?

No, you can not appeal your taxes, but you can appeal your assessment. Contact BC Assessment at (763-8300). The Assessment notices are mailed in January (first working day of month), you have 1 month (January 31st) to appeal.

A spouse whose husband (or wife) has passed away and he(she) was a senior and she is not. What are her options?

The surviving spouse can claim the seniors PHOG amount in the year the person passed away. After that they will only be able to claim the PHOG amount that they quality for.

Why are Kelowna Residents paying for some Regional District taxes?

The City of Kelowna and some of the neighbouring local governments share the costs of some “region wide” services. Examples of region-wide services are:

• 9-1-1 Emergency plan,
• Regional District Rescue, Crime Stoppers,
• Air Quality Monitoring, Regional Parks,
• Economic Development Commission,
• Victim/Witness Assistance.

Can I pay my taxes and claim my Provincial Home Owner Grant online?

Yes, you can pay your taxes using your bank’s web site through payment options. Call your bank for instructions or it you have questions.

Yes, if claiming a PHOG you can claim it on the City of Kelowna website, using E- HOG. Access code is printed on your tax notice.

Why is the grant amount subject to penalties?

You can reduce your taxes owing by claiming grants you are eligible for, until you claim your grant the total bill is taxes outstanding.