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. 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 the following address:
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. Late penalties are determined by the payment's received date and not the mailed date.
3. Online or Telephone Banking
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Set up the City of Prince George as the payee.
- Most financial institutions will have the payee named as "City of Prince George Taxes", "Prince George Tax" or a similar variation. Contact the financial institution for help if the payee is unclear.
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Use the 10-digit folio number as the account number.
- The City of Prince George's folio format is xx-xxxxx-xxx.
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Check to ensure the payment was successful.
- If a payment takes more than three days to process or the amount has not been deducted from the account, check your bank transactions and/or refer to your financial institution for assistance.
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. Financial Institution
Taxes may be paid in person at banks and credit unions that offer property tax payment services.
5. 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.
6. Pre-Authorized Monthly Plan
Property taxes may be paid through a pre-payment plan. Residents may complete an application form and submit it in person at the City Hall Service Centre:
City Hall Service Centre
1100 Patricia Boulevard
Prince George, BC V2L 3V9
Canada
A void cheque, direct deposit form, or counter cheque must be provided with the application form.
NOTE: Pre-payment Plans are no longer being accepted for 2019 property taxes.
Change Banking Information or Cancel a Pre-Payment Plan
To change banking information or to cancel a pre-payment plan, fill out the pre-payment plan change form (either as a downloadable PDF or through a web form), print the document, and submit it in person at the City Hall Service Centre.
Change in Mailing Address
For mailing address changes to property taxes or utilities accounts, complete the mailing address change online form (either as a downloadable PDF or through a web form) or mailing address change editable PDF and submit it in person at the City Hall Service Centre.
How it Works
Monthly pre-payments will be withdrawn from the provided account on the 30th day of each month starting in July and ending in May (February withdrawals will be on the 28th day). An annual tax notice is mailed to residents at the end of May each year and will show the current year’s taxes, less the total pre-payments and interest earned.
The balance owing will automatically be withdrawn on June 30. Residents who are eligible for the provincial home owner grant will need to apply for the grant by the tax due date to avoid penalties. All outstanding property taxes must be paid in full prior to joining the pre-payment plan.
Monthly Payment Calculation
The payment amount is calculated using estimated taxes based on the previous year’s net tax payable for the property, divided into 11 equal payments (July 30 to May 30). Residents who join the pre-payment plan after July 30 will have their the estimated taxes divided by the remaining number of months up to and including the May 30 payment. Once on the pre-payment plan, monthly payment amounts towards the next year’s taxes will be stated on the annual tax notice and will commence July 30.
Interest Calculation
Interest is earned on payments applied to property taxes each month until May 30. Simple interest at three per cent below the lending prime rate is calculated monthly and applied to the tax pre-payment folio for the property. Any pre-payment that is withdrawn for any purpose other than the payment of City of Prince George property taxes shall not earn interest.
Penalties
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. Until the Home Owner Grant is claimed, that portion of the balance on the tax account is considered taxes outstanding.
These penalties are a requirement of the Community Charter and the City has no authority to either waive or modify the penalty amounts.
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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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