news

Cranbrook, BC (May 25, 2020) -- Property tax notices for the City of Cranbrook have now been mailed to all property owners on record. If you have not received your notice by the first week of June, please contact City Hall at (250) 489-0233 so that a copy may be forwarded to you.

Although City Hall will be open to the public starting June 1^st, it is recommended to try and pay your property taxes through online banking and claim your Home Owner Grant online through the City’s website (www.cranbrook.ca).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to follow social distancing measures, City Hall will only be allowing two patrons inside at one time.  Property owners are asked to line up outside City Hall in the designated area.  A staff member will be available outside City Hall at the main doors to assist property owners.

To help keep our staff and customers safe, please refrain from attending City Hall in person if you are exhibiting any symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, or shortness of breath.

TAX DUE DATE
Taxes are due on July 2, 2020, for all Residential (Class 1), Utility (Class 2) and Farm (Class 9) properties, after which time a 10% penalty will be added to any unpaid current taxes.  Home Owner Grants may be claimed even if current taxes are not paid in full.  Penalties apply to Home Owner Grants not claimed by July 2, 2020.

As per the Province of BC’s COVID-19 Action Plan, taxes are still due on July 2, 2020 for all Light Industry (Class 5), Business (Class 6) and Seasonal (Class 8) properties, after which time a 10% penalty will be added to any unpaid current taxes starting on September 30, 2020.

Your assessment class can be found on the top right-hand side of your Tax Notice.

PAYMENT OPTIONS
If you are making payment in person at City Hall, non-cash payments are preferred.  We do accept post-dated cheques, debit card, and credit card payments. Please note a 2.4% convenience fee applies to all credit card payments. Make cheques payable to: City of Cranbrook

Payment may also be made by telephone/online banking and through most financial institutions.  You must still claim the Home Owner Grant at City Hall or online via the link on the www.cranbrook.ca website.

The City of Cranbrook now offers an online payment portal where you can register to receive notifications when bills are ready for viewing. You can view account balances and make payments using  your credit card.  To register for this service, visit the City’s website (www.cranbrook.ca).  You will need your ‘Access Code’ found on the top-left hand side of your Tax Notice underneath the address portion.

Please note a 2.4% convenience fee applies to all credit card payments.

PREPAYMENT OF 2021 PROPERTY TAXES
If you are currently participating in the pre-authorized payment program, please note that the prepayment amount on your tax notice includes the June 15^th payment.  As your prepayment amounts were based on an estimate there may still be a balance owing.  To avoid a penalty, please review your Tax Notice carefully and make sure you pay any outstanding balance prior to July 2, 2020. 

Any overpayment on the 2020 property taxes will be applied to the first payment(s) for 2021.

If you are interested in enrolling in the monthly pre-authorized payment plan, please contact the Finance Department at 250-489-0233 to obtain an application form.

Monthly tax payments are made through your bank by preauthorized debits on the 15th of each month, starting in July 2020 for the 2021 taxation year. 

2020 TAX DEFERMENT PROGRAMS

Home owners can apply to have the Province pay their property taxes on their principal residence through their low interest loan program. There are two tax deferment programs you may qualify for:

Regular Deferment Program

• 55 years or older, or widow/widower, or a person with a disability as defined by Regulation; and

• 25% equity position in your home (based on the 2020 BC Assessment property value)

Families with Children Deferment Program

• Sign a declaration that you are financially supporting a child under the age of 18 at any time during the calendar year; and
• 15% equity position in your home (based on the 2020 BC Assessment property value)

Before applying for any of these tax deferment programs, you must pay all penalties, interest, previous years’ property taxes, and utility charges, as these charges cannot be deferred.

For more information about Property Tax Deferment from the Province of BC, visit https://www.gov.bc.ca/propertytaxdeferment, or call 1-888-355-2700.

Note: Effective the 2020 tax year, applications and renewals for property tax deferment can only be submitted online through eTaxBC.

2020 HOME OWNER GRANT
The City of Cranbrook is pleased to announce that you can once again claim your Home Owner Grant online through the City’s website at www.cranbrook.ca and following the link found under the ‘Residents’ tab. 

The eHOG password to access the form is found on the top left-hand of your tax notice underneath the address portion.

IMPORTANT: Financial Institutions DO NOT accept Home Owner Grant applications.  If you pay your property taxes at a Financial Institution, please ensure you claim your Home Owner Grant online or at City Hall before the due date (July 2, 2020).