Deadlines and penalties

Important dates for 2024

Date What's due? Penalty for missed date
July 2
  • Property tax payment for residential and utility properties
  • Home owner grant application
  • Property tax deferment application
5% *
August 1 Tax and Utility Prepayment Plan (PAWS) deductions start  
September 3 Last day to pay for 2024 property tax and annual utility payments before additional penalty applies Additional 5% *
October 7 Tax sale date  
December 31 Any balance for 2024 still outstanding after today will be moved into arrears Daily interest on balance

* Provincial legislation mandates that a 10% penalty is applied to unpaid property taxes in the current year. 

What happens if you do not pay your property taxes on time

Late payment penalties of up to 10% will be applied to outstanding balances.

Unpaid tax balances will be placed in arrears at the end of the calendar year. If the balance continues to be unpaid at the end of the following calendar year, your account will be considered delinquent.

Accounts in arrears or delinquent are subject to daily interest charges. There is also a risk that your property will be sold at auction to recover taxes owing.

If you find yourself with outstanding taxes, please contact us to discuss your situation. Our goal is to help you bring your tax account into good standing. Call 604.990.2488.

Example late fees, interest, and other penalties: Residential and utility properties

Here is an example of how an unpaid balance would be handled, based on a 2024 tax bill:

If... Then...
Your 2024 bill is not paid by the first working day in July, 2024 We charge a 5% late penalty
Your 2024 bill plus 5% late penalty is not paid by the first working day in September, 2024 We charge a second 5% late penalty
Your 2024 bill plus late penalties is not paid by December 31, 2024 We move your balance to arrears on January 1, 2025 and begin charging daily interest
Your 2024 tax bill, late penalties, and interest accrued during 2025 is not paid by December 31, 2025 We consider your balance delinquent on January 1, 2026 and continue charging daily interest
Your 2024 tax bill, late penalties, plus interest accrued during 2025 and 2026 is not paid by the last Monday in September, 2026 Your property would be sold at a tax sale in late September of 2026 to recover the outstanding tax balance and any interest

How to avoid paying penalties, interest, or fees

To avoid interest charges and fees on late payments, be sure that, by the due date, you:

Fees for returned cheques

Cheques rejected by your financial institution for any reason are considered non-payment of taxes and are subject to applicable penalties and interest charges. In addition, the District will charge an administrative fee for each rejected payment.

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