Taxes

The District of Oak Bay sends property taxes to all property owners once each year. The property taxes cover the calendar year and the bills are mailed mid May with a due date of the first working day after July 1st. The District collects approximately $28 million each year from roughly 6,700 taxpayers. Of this amount, approximately $14 million is collected for other government agencies including Provincial Government (School Taxes), Capital Regional District, Regional Hospitals, Regional Transit, B.C. Assessment, Municipal Finance Authority, and others. The remaining $14 million is retained by the District to fund the many services provided to its residents.

Property Assessment
How to Pay your Property Tax
Pre Authorized Payment Plan
Home Owner Grants
Tax Deferment Program
Tax Sale
Tax Certificates

Property Assessment

Property assessment is the determination of a property’s market value as of July 1 each year. Annually, on December 31, B.C. Assessment mails to each property owner a Property Assessment Notice, which shows the property’s market value and other important information about the property. Questions regarding property assessments should be directed to
B.C .Assessment

Provincial and local governments use property assessments to determine the tax rates they must set to raise the revenue needed to pay for public services. Tax authorities set tax rates that are applied to the assessed value of properties. These are shown on the property tax notices.

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How to Pay your Property Tax

Property taxes are payable by the due date printed on the tax notice.  If your payment is late a ten percent (10%) penalty is applied to unpaid current year taxes, including unclaimed Home Owner Grants. Please remember:

·      To avoid penalty, your payment and Home Owner Grant application must be     received by the penalty date.

·      The Home Owner Grant must be applied for each year.

·      It is not necessary to make a payment in order to claim the grant.

There are eight ways to pay your property taxes:

1. Municipal Hall Tax Office:

8:30am - 4:30pm Monday to Friday
2167 Oak Bay Avenue

Interac is accepted at the Municipal Hall; however, credit cards are not accepted.  

2. After Hours Drop Box:

Located at the front entrance doors of Municipal Hall. The locked drop box is cleared daily.

3. Mail:

Mail remittances to 2167 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC, V8R 1G2. Payment must be received at the Oak Bay Municipal Hall by the tax due date or, if mailed within Canada, with a legible postmark dated prior to the date shown on the back of the tax notice, to avoid penalty. Please note if this option is chosen, mail lost by the Post Office will be subject to penalties.

4. Banks \ Credit Unions:

You can pay your property taxes at most financial institutions. Remember to complete and sign your Home Owner Grant application. Payment must be made by the tax due date to avoid penalty.

5. Pay By Phone or Internet Banking:

Most financial institutions offer payments by these methods. If you are paying by one of these methods and you are eligible for the Home Owner Grant, you must complete your Home Owner Grant application and mail or deliver it to the Oak Bay Municipal Office.  Home Owner Grants may be claimed electronically by clicking here. Applications must be received by the tax due date to avoid penalty.

                6. Automated Bank Machine (ATM):

You can pay your property taxes at most Automated Bank Machines (ATM’s). Remember to complete and sign your Home Owner Grant application. Payment must be made by the tax due date to avoid penalty.

7. Pre-Authorized Withdrawal Plan:

The Property Tax Pre-Authorization Plan is an optional payment plan that allows taxpayers to make up to 10 equal monthly payments between August 1 to May 1 by authorizing automatic withdrawals from your chequing account.  The amount of pre-payment may be up to 95% of the previous year’s net property taxes, after any applicable Home Owner Grant is deducted.  This plan also offers interest from January 1 through to the tax due date. The interest rate is set each December 15th for the following year.

For those taxpayers on the Property Tax Pre-authorized Withdrawal Plan, the residual tax balance must be made by the tax due date, using the above payment options. Please be reminded that, if eligible, Home Owner Grants must be applied for annually.

You can start your payments at any time by completing and submitting an application form. Please click here for the application form.

8. Prepayments:

You may make prepayments of up to 95% of the previous year’s net property taxes, after any applicable Home Owner Grant is deducted. If you prepay your taxes in full or in part, your account will be credited with interest from the prepayment date, or January 1, whichever is later, through to the tax due date. The interest rate is set each December 15th for the following year. You can only prepay your taxes if you have no unpaid taxes from the previous years.

Warning Regarding Automated Bank Machine (ATM), Pay By Phone and Internet Banking payments:
These  will be subject to penalties if rejected by your financial institution or if you pay AFTER your financial institution’s local cut off time on the due date, in which case they will be processed with a “payment date” equal to the next business day.

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Pre Authorized Payment Plan

The Property Tax Pre-Authorization Plan is an optional payment plan that allows taxpayers to make up to 10 equal monthly payments between August 1 to May 1 by authorizing automatic withdrawals from your chequing account.  The amount of pre-payment may be up to 95% of the previous year’s net property taxes, after any applicable Home Owner Grant is deducted.  This plan also offers interest from January 1 through to the tax due date. The interest rate is set each December 15th for the following year.

For those taxpayers on the Property Tax Pre-authorized Withdrawal Plan, the residual tax balance must be made by the tax due date, using the above payment options. Please be reminded that, if eligible, Home Owner Grants must be applied for annually.

You can start your payments at any time by completing and submitting an application form. Please click here for the application form.

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Home Owner Grants

The Home Owner Grant is available to individuals who are Canadian citizens or Landed Immigrants and reside permanently in British Columbia. A homeowner is entitled to the grant if he/she occupies an eligible residence as his/her principal residence. The grant is not automatically given, it must be applied for each year. An owner, together with his/her spouse, qualifies for a Provincial Home Owner Grant for only one residence in the Province in any one calendar year. Eligible property owners must apply for the Home Owner Grant by the due date each year, to avoid penalty charges being applied to that portion of the property taxes. The application form is located on the detachable stub at the bottom of your property Tax Notice. You can also claim online by clicking here.

The Basic Home Owner Grant:

• The basic home owner grant can reduce your property tax by as much as $570, if your property taxes are at least $920. Your grant cannot reduce your net payment below $350. If eligible for the basic grant, you should claim the grant prior to the tax due date even if you do not make a payment
• The grant is reduced on higher valued properties by $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,050,000. The grant is eliminated on properties assessed at $1,164,000 or more.
• The last date to apply for the grant is December 31 of the following year, but penalties will be applied if not received by the close of business on the tax due date. A penalty of 10% will be applied to the grant, in addition to any outstanding taxes after the tax due date

Additional Home Owner Grant:

• The additional home owner grant can reduce your property taxes by as much as $845, if your property taxes are at least $945. Your grant cannot reduce your net payment below $100. If eligible for the additional grant, you should claim the grant prior to the tax due date even if you do not make a payment.
• The grant is reduced on higher valued properties, by $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,050,000. That means the additional grant is eliminated on properties assessed at $1,219,000 or more.
• If you are applying for the additional grant, you do not need to apply separately for the regular grant. The two amounts will be calculated together.
• The last date to apply for the grant is December 31 of the following year, but penalties will be applied if not received by the close of business on the tax due date. A penalty of 10% will be applied to the grant, in addition to any outstanding taxes after the tax due date

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Tax Deferment Program

The BC Property Tax Deferment Program allows property owners to defer payment of annual property taxes if owners are:

• 55 years or older; or
• a surviving spouse; or
• a disabled person as defined in the Disability Benefits Program Act;

and if owners are:

• Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who have lived in BC for at least one year immediately prior to applying for tax deferment benefits.

For further information, please contact the Tax Department or the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Relations website, or telephone toll free at 1-800-663-7867.

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Tax Sale

Pursuant to the Local Government Act, a tax sale is conducted annually by the Collector, on the last Monday of September at 10:00 am in the Municipal Hall, where properties which have property taxes from two years prior to the current year are offered for sale by public auction. Notice is published prior to the tax sale, advising of the time and place of the sale, and the description and street address, of any properties subject to sale.

The Collector is authorized to receive from the proceeds of a tax sale the following amounts for the use of the local government, which is the upset price and the lowest amount for which the parcel may be sold:

a.     the amount of delinquent taxes, taxes in arrear, and interest to the first day of the tax sale for which the parcel of land and the improvements are liable for sale;

b.     the taxes, including penalties incurred, for the current year on the land and improvements;

c.      5% of the amounts under paragraphs (a) and (b);

d.      the fees prescribed under the Land Title Act.

The highest bidder above the upset price or, if there is no bid above the upset price, the bidder at the upset price, is declared the purchaser.

If there is no bid, or no bid equal to the upset price, the local government is declared the purchaser. If the local government has been declared the purchaser of a parcel, the Collector may offer the parcel for sale again later at the tax sale under the same conditions.

If a purchaser fails to immediately pay the Collector the amount of the purchase price, the parcel will again be offered for sale.

Within one year from the day of the tax sale, a parcel of property sold may be redeemed by:

a.        an owner or registered owner in fee simple of the parcel;

b.       an owner of a registered charge against the parcel; or

c.        another person on behalf of a person referred to in paragraph (a) or (b).

A redemption is made by paying or tendering to the Collector for the use and benefit of the purchaser the total of the following amounts:

a.     the upset price of the parcel at the time of the tax sale;

b.     all costs of which the Collector has had notice that have been incurred by the purchaser in maintenance of the real property and in prevention of waste;

c.      taxes advanced by the purchaser;

d.     interest to the date of redemption on any amount in excess of the upset price and on the    total amount expended by the purchaser under paragraphs (a) to (c) during the period for redemption, at the rate prescribed under the Taxation (Rural Area) Act.

On redemption of a parcel, the purchaser is entitled to receive from the local government all amounts paid by the purchaser, together with interest to the date of redemption at the rate prescribed in the Taxation (Rural Area) Act.  

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Tax Certificates

The tax certificate provides a statement of the property tax account to date.

Follow the link to purchase tax certificates through BC Online Tax Certification Service. www.bconline.gov.bc.ca/TCOL/

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