Index
2019 Tax Information
In 2019, the City of Prince George is increasing taxes to maintain services in key areas and provide necessary enhancement in others. Measures include:
- A one per cent increase in property taxes to reflect the City's new responsibility of paying the Employers Health Tax, which was recently invoked by the Government of British Columbia.
- Increasing the budget by 1.5 per cent for snow removal to better align with actual annual snow removal expenditures. The annual budget for snow and ice control is now $8.5 million.
- Increasing the road rehabilitation budget by 0.6 per cent to better maintain the City's network of 670km of roads, 200km of sidewalks, 16 bridges, and urban lanes.
- Adding an inflationary increase to the General Infrastructure Reinvestment Fund.
Together with other budget enhancements such as City support for an all-wheels park in Blackburn and increased staffing support at the recently upgraded Masich Place Stadium, the tax increase for 2019 is 4.3 per cent compared to last year.
For more information:
TAX DUE DATE
Property taxes are always due on the first Friday in July. If July 1 falls on a Friday, taxes will be due the following Friday.
NOTE: New property owners who have not received a current property tax notice will be required to contact City Hall to receive a copy.
Non-receipt of a tax notice is not recognised as a valid reason for failing to pay taxes by the due date.
ONLINE TAX NOTICES
View current and past tax notices and more through the City of Prince George's MyCity system. Register for an account, log in, and set up MyCity to track histories and e-Billing for:
- Tax accounts
- Utilities accounts
- Business and dog licensing
How Tax Dollars Are Spent
Services such as water, sanitary sewer, and residential garbage collection are billed separately from property taxes. User fees support the operating costs of these utilities as well as the replacement of aging infrastructure.
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Paying Your Property Taxes
1. In Person at City Hall By Cheque, Cash, or Debit Card
Payments may be made in person by cheque, cash, or debit card at the City Hall Service Centre during regular working hours:
City Hall Service Centre
1100 Patricia Boulevard
Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
Phone: 311 (or 250-561-7600 outside city limits)
Email: 311@princegeorge.ca
Hours:
- Monday to Friday - 8:30am to 5:00pm
- Closed on statutory holidays
After-Hours Payments
Cheques may be left in drop boxes located at either City Hall entrance for after-hours payments.
Do not leave cash in drop boxes.
2. Mail
Cheques may be mailed to City Hall at:
City of Prince George
1100 Patricia Boulevard
Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
Canada
Tax payments sent by mail must be received at City Hall by the due date. Mail postmarked by the due date is not accepted as on time.
3. Financial Institutions - Online banking, Telephone Banking, In Person
Banks and credit unions that offer payment services provide the opportunity to pay tax bills online, through telephone banking, or in-person. Set up the City of Prince George as the payee and enter your tax folio number.
Please allow up to three business days processing to ensure payment is made on time. Be sure to include the property tax folio number when paying online.
4. By Credit Card Using PayTM Canada
Property taxes may be paid by credit card using the PayTM Canada mobile app. Credit cards are not accepted at the City Hall Service Centre. Please allow up to five days for payments to be processed.
How to Pay with PayTM Canada
- Download the PayTM Canada mobile app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.
- Search for "Prince George(City)" under Utilities or Taxes and set as the payee.
- Enter the property tax account number, name, and the amount due.
- Review the details and proceed to checkout.
Penalties and Interest Charges
- A five per cent penalty will be added to any current outstanding taxes remaining unpaid after the due date.
- A further five per cent penalty will be applied to the current outstanding taxes remaining unpaid after the second Friday in September.
- Penalties are also applicable to the home owner grant portion of taxes.
- Interest is charged on arrears and delinquent taxes from January 1 of the current year to the date payment is made at the interest rate set by the Province of BC.
- These penalty/interest charges are a requirement of the Community Charter and the City has no authority to either waive or modify the penalty/interest charge amounts. Non-receipt of a bill is not recognized as a valid reason to reverse penalty/interest charges.
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Claim Your Home Owner Grant
The Provincial Home Owner Grant program helps reduce the amount of residential property taxes home owners pay on their primary residences. Awarded grants may be higher for qualifying seniors, veterans, or persons with a disability. Home owners may apply for the grant on their own or give permission to have somebody apply for them. However, if property taxes are paid through a financial institution, that institution will not apply for a grant on the home owner's behalf.
A grant application may be submitted after receiving a property tax notice. Home owners who qualified for the grant the previous year but did not apply may be eligible to claim the grant retroactively for up to one year. The grant must be applied for every year to receive it.
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General Tax Information
Prior Tax Rates
Tax rate tables from previous years are available for download.
Tax Deferment
Tax deferment is a low interest loan program administrated by the Government of B.C. that helps qualified B.C. homeowners pay their annual property taxes on their principal residence.
Tax Exemptions
Permissive tax exemption is available for qualifying, registered non-profit organisations using property for municipal, recreational, religious, cultural or charitable purposes.
The deadline for submissions is June 30, 2019.
Tax Sale
The City is required by the Local Government Act on the last Monday of September to sell at tax sale all properties where taxes have not been paid in three years. The Local Government Act gives the Collector authority to sell a property for the "Upset Price" which equals all outstanding taxes + penalties + interest + five (5) per cent tax sale costs + Land Title Office fees.
All property sales are "as is" without warrant or guarantee by the City of Prince George.
For complete information, prospective purchasers should consult the Local Government Act, in particular (but not limited to) Sections 403 to 428.
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