Property Taxes & Assessments

PROPERTY TAXES ARE DUE the first business day after July 1st every year.

** A 10% penalty will be added to current property taxes outstanding after the annual due date. **

The District has no authority to either waive or modify these penalty amounts.

It is a requirement of the Local Government Act that these penalties be added.

If Your Property Taxes Are Paid by a Mortgage Company/Financial Institution

• It is the sole responsibility of the property owner to complete the Homeowner Grant – application every year (if eligible). You must submit your application to the Office in person, online or by mail by the due date in order to avoid penalties.
• Your mortgage company is advised of property taxes payable only.

Why have my property taxes increased?
The following factors may affect the amount of your tax bill:

• Increase in the Tax Rate
• Change in Assessment Values
• Increase in Taxable Value
• New or increased Utility charges
• New Local Improvement charges
• Changes in Home Owner Grant status

The Relationship Between Property Assessment and Municipal Property Taxes
Municipal governments use property assessments to determine what tax rate they must set to raise the revenue needed to pay for public services, such as police and fire protection, parks and recreation, road improvements and new infrastructure. Property assessment and taxation is a two-part process:

• First, BC Assessment determines the market value of properties and send property owners a Property Assessment Notice. If you are a property owner, you will receive this notice in January of each year.
• Second, tax authorities, like municipal government, set tax rates that are applied to the assessed value and send property owners a Tax Notice.

Given the relationship between property assessment and municipal property taxes, many property owners believe that a high property assessment increase means high increases in property taxes. This is not necessarily the case. If the District's operating budget is $1.5million, for example, it will be $1.5 million whether the average residential property is worth $100,000 or $200,000. The value of the properties does not determine the costs of the District's programs and services.

Being a resident of the District of Stewart has its privileges.  Some of the services that are offered to residential and commercial property owners include:  garbage collection, street sweeping, snow plowing, parks and recreation. 

Property Taxes

General property taxation is the single most important source of revenue for Local Governments.  Each year, Council must project the net amount of funds required through property taxes to support local services.  General municipal tax rates are set during the budget process.  Property tax notices are mailed in mid-May for the calendar year of January 1 through to December 31.  The general municipal tax rate, together with the assessed value and classification (property use - i.e. residential, commercial, industry, farm, etc.) of the taxable property, determines the taxation for each property.

Property taxes cannot be appealed.  Only property assessments, on which taxes are based, are subject to appeal through the BC Assessment Authority (BCAA).  Therefore, it is important to review your annual assessment notice when you receive it and report any concerns to them by January 31st of each year.  Annual assessment notices are mailed by BCAA on December 31st for the subsequent year.  In British Columbia, property assessments reflect market values effective July 1st of the preceding year.

The average Property tax per household in the District of Stewart: is $1522. This total Includes:

• the Municipal portion,
• Regional District,
• NW Regional Hospital,
• Regional Hospital District
• BC Assessment Authority,
• Municipal Finance Authority,
• Police and
• School Tax
• Sewer, water and road frontage

Contact information for BC Assessment is as follows:
BC Assessment - Northwest Region
100 - 4545 Lazelle Avenue
Terrace, BC   V8G 4E1
Phone:  250-638-1116
Toll Free:  1-800-990-1116
Fax:  250-638-0156
email:  northwest@bcassessment.ca

If your mailing address has recently changed, BC Assessment has a hyperlink to a Change of Address form for property owners.  The new link is https://www.bcassessment.ca/eforms/address_change_form.asp.

PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS LINK - click on "e-value BC" and navigate using street addresses or roll numbers to find assessed values on properties in BC