Property Taxes

Home Owner Grant

In 2020, the B.C. government introduced legislation to amend the Home Owner Grant Act.

These amendments centralized the home owner grant program for the 2021 tax year and future years. The amendments did not change the eligibility criteria for the program.

What this means:

The Province is entirely responsible for the home owner grant program.

As of January 1, 2021, all home owners must apply directly to the Province online or over the phone at www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant  or call 1-888-355-2700 to speak with an agent.

Centralizing this program within the B.C. government:

• Ensures homeowners receive the grant amount they are eligible for, such as the additional grant for seniors or persons with a disability.  Home owner grant for people with disabilities – Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
• Automates the approval process for grants resulting in quicker application processing – this will help prevent ineligible homeowners from being penalized for late property tax payment.
• Removes an administrative burden from municipalities.
• Increases tax compliance, ensuring people are paying the right amount of tax.

Questions?  Please contact the Provincial Property Taxation Branch:

Toll Free: 1-888-355-2700
Office: 250-387-0555

Payment Options

Bill Payment Services:

Bill Payment Services can generally be accessed through your online banking account, an automated teller machine (ATM), telephone banking or in person with a teller at the financial institution that you bank with.

• To pay your property taxes using a Bill Payment Service (including an in person transaction with a teller) you will need to set up a bill payment payee for “Duncan (City of) Property Taxes” or “City of Duncan Property Taxes” or a similar variation depending on your financial institution.  Your account number is the roll number shown on the front of your property tax notice. It has 11 digits and starts with 207.
• Your Home Owner Grant must be claimed online through the Province of BC.  Please visit their website here.
• The City is not currently able to accept E-transfers.

Online Credit Card Payments:

New in 2024, the City is pleased to offer an online credit card payment option for property tax through OptionPay. Please note that this is a third-party service that will apply an additional fee to the transaction.

Payment to City Hall by Cheque:

In addition to accepting cheques for the full amount we are also happy to accept multiple post-dated cheques.  Please ensure your cheques are dated and received by the City of Duncan no later than 4:00 p.m. on July 2, 2024 to avoid any penalties.

Canada Post: mail to the City of Duncan, 200 Craig Street, Duncan BC, V9L 1W3.

• Payments lost or delayed by the postal service will be subject to penalty if received after 4:00 p.m. on July 2, 2024.
• The postmark date is not considered as date of payment.

24 Hour Drop Box: Deposit your cheque(s) in the drop boxes located at each of the City Hall entrances (200 Craig Street, Duncan). 

• Do not put cash in the drop box.

In Person payments at City Hall:

• Cash
• Cheque
• Debit up to your daily limit (credit cards are not accepted for property tax payments)

Mortgage Company:

Please contact your mortgage company for details.

Property Tax Deferment Program

A low-interest provincial loan program is available for qualified homeowners to defer their property tax.  Persons 55 years of age or older, certain persons with disabilities, or families with dependents may qualify for the Property Tax Deferment Program.

Starting in the 2020 tax year, the Provincial Government has moved to an online system that is faster and easier. All applications and renewals are now submitted directly to the Province. Property Tax Deferments are no longer handled by the City of Duncan.

For more information on how to apply or renew, please go to the Provincial Government website:  www.gov.bc.ca/propertytaxdeferment 

To contact the Provincial Government Tax Deferment Office, you may:

•      Phone: 250-387-0555 or toll free: 1-888-355-2700
•      Email: taxdeferment@gov.bc.ca

If you have any prior year’s taxes outstanding (arrears or delinquent) you must pay those amounts before you can qualify to defer your current year’s property taxes.

You still must pay the sewer parcel tax and any annual user fees such as sewer and garbage to avoid penalties on those amounts. User fees and parcel taxes are not eligible for deferment.

Tax Installment Payment Plan

The Property Tax Installment Payment Plan is an optional payment plan that provides an opportunity for taxpayers to make monthly payments towards the upcoming year’s property taxes through an automatic deduction from their bank account. The Plan is also available for those who want to pay arrears and delinquent taxes. Installments are withdrawn on the first business day of the month for ten (10) months starting in August and ending in May.  Simple interest is paid on the balance at the prescribed rate, but no lower than 0.25%.

There are two options available:

1. Installments are determined by estimating the upcoming year’s taxes:

1. Take the “Total Current Taxes” on your tax notice and add 3%,
2. Deduct eligible Home Owner Grant amount, and
3. Divide by the number of installments (normally 10).

The monthly installment is re-calculated each year.

2. Fixed monthly installment. This amount is determined by the applicant ($25/month minimum).

To apply, please complete the Property Tax Installment Application form and return it to City Hall via email (taxes@duncan.ca) or to the drop box at City Hall, 200 Craig Street, Duncan.

Property Assessment (BC Assessment Authority)

In January, property assessment notices are mailed annually to property owners throughout the province from BC Assessment, an independent agency created by the Provincial Government for the purpose of valuing all properties in BC for taxation purposes.  Your assessment notice estimates the market value of your property as of July 1 of the previous year.

An increase in your property assessment does not mean your taxes will automatically go up by the same amount. If all property values increase by the same amount, taxes on individual properties will not change.  Assessment is simply a distribution mechanism. Your assessment indicates the estimated value of your property. The property tax rate, which is based on budget requirements, is what determines how much your taxes will be. The tax rate is set by City Council each year.

BC Assessment is an independent body that provides market value information on all properties. For more information regarding property assessments, please visit the BC Assessment website.

Information Sheet about Property Assessments

Annual Property Tax Rates

After the annual budget is adopted by Council for the current year, Council passes a Tax Rate Bylaw.  This Bylaw sets a tax rate for each property class as defined on the BC Assessment Roll.  The total levy must be sufficient to raise revenue to pay all debts and obligations of the City falling due within the year. The tax rate applies to each $1,000 of taxable value of land and improvements.

The City of Duncan is not the only authority that taxes properties in the City.  Five taxing jurisdictions – like the Regional Hospital District – derive a portion of their annual revenue from the property base. The City of Duncan has no or little control over these other taxing jurisdictions’ levies.  However, to reduce the administrative cost of billing and collecting these other property taxes, the City of Duncan includes these levies on the tax notice sent to property owners each year.

• 2024 Tax Rates
• Property Tax Insert from CVRD for the City of Duncan

Speculation and Vacancy Tax

The Speculation and Vacancy Tax is a provincial initiative. For more information, visit the BC Government Speculation Tax website or contact the Provincial office toll-free at 1-833-554-2323.

• Speculation & Vacancy Tax Information Sheet

Looking for a Tax Certificate?

Our Tax Certificates are conveniently available online through:

• myLTSA Enterprise:  If you have an account, log in and from the main menu, select Service Providers and Order Tax Certificates. For more information about myLTSA or to become a customer, visit www.ltsa.ca
• APIC: If you prefer to pay for the tax certificate by credit card, please visit www.apicanada.com to open an account and order your Tax Certificate

Please Keep Us Informed

If you have changed your mailing address, please complete the Address or Account Change Form, including the following information, and send it to City Hall by email: taxes@duncan.ca or to the drop box at City Hall, 200 Craig Street, Duncan.

• Effective date
• Owners name(s)
• Contact phone number(s)
• Email address
• Property address(es)
• New mailing address
• If you have a dog licence to be updated, please let us know this as well.

Property taxation is the single most important source of municipal revenue. The amount of your money that is to be raised through property taxes is based on the budget (Financial Plan) approved by Council each year. The value of your property, as assessed by BC Assessment, is multiplied by the tax rates as set out by each of the taxing jurisdictions to determine your property taxes.