A reminder to property owners that property tax payments must be received by the District or electronically processed by third-party financial institutions by Tuesday, July 2 to avoid a provincially legislated 10 per cent late payment penalty.
Monday, July 1 is a statutory holiday and it is recommended that payments are made early as banks and credit card companies can take up to three business days to process payments.
To reduce the amount of property tax owing, eligible property owners can apply for the annual provincial home owner grant (HOG) at gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant or by calling 1-888-355-2700. Applications must be in before the July 2 deadline as it is considered a form of payment. The BC Property Tax Deferment program is also now available to those who qualify. Taxpayers can learn more about the property tax deferment program including eligibility at gov.bc.ca/propertytaxdeferment.
Unless taxpayers are experiencing a critical issue with their tax notice that cannot be resolved over the phone or through email, the District recommends making payments through the following ways to avoid potential lineups:
- Online or in person through your financial institution.
- By mailed cheque to Municipal Hall (post-dated cheques are accepted. However, the postmark date is not considered date of payment).
- By cheque using the 24-hour drop box located at the north entrance to Municipal Hall.
- In person at Municipal Hall (closed Monday, July 1 reopening Tuesday, July 2 from 8:30am-6:00pm).
Please note that postmarks on mailed remittances will not be considered as date of payment.
To easily access and manage property tax, utility and business license information in one convenient online location, property owners are encouraged to register an account at MyLakeCountry.ca. To register, taxpayers need their folio number and access code, which can be found on the tax notice.
For more information on District of Lake Country property taxes please visit lakecountry.bc.ca/taxes.