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Cranbrook, BC (May 26, 2022) -- Property tax notices for the City of Cranbrook have 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, it is recommended to pay your property taxes through online banking and apply for your Home Owner Grant online through the Provincial website.

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.

2022 HOME OWNER GRANT
Home Owner Grant applications must be submitted online through the Provincial website (www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant), or by phone (1-888-355-2700).

TAX DUE DATE
Taxes and homeowner grants are due on Monday July 4, 2022 for all properties.  2022 taxes and provincial homeowner grants must be received by July 4, after which time any 2022 amount owing will receive a 10% penalty. 

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 apply for the Home Owner Grant online through the Provincial website (www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant), or by phone (1-888-355-2700).

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 2023 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 15th 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 Monday July 4, 2022.  

Any overpayment on the 2022 property taxes will be applied to the first payment(s) for 2023.

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 withdrawn from a chequing or savings account by preauthorized debits on the 15th of each month, starting in July 2022 for the 2023 taxation year.  

2022 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 2022 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 2022 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: Applications and renewals for property tax deferment can only be submitted online through eTaxBC.