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# Property Taxes & Assessment
The Village of Sayward mails out Property Tax notices in May. If you own property and have not received a tax notice, please contact us. New property owners are responsible for payment of their annual property taxes by the due date to avoid penalty, whether or not they received a Property Tax Notice.
## Tax Information
* The 2025 property tax due date is **July 2, 2026.**
**A 10% penalty will be added to the current property taxes outstanding on July 3, 2026.**These penalties are in accordance with the Municipal Tax Regulation of the Community Charter. The Village has no authority to waive or modify these penalty amounts.
* The formula for calculating taxes on property is:
Assessed Property Value x Property Tax Rate
The assessed property value is the value for tax purposes as determined by BC Assessment Authority which is established under provincial legislation and is independent of the municipality. Your assessment notice is mailed out annually on December 31st. You cannot appeal your taxes, but you can appeal your assessment.
For more information, contact the BC Assessment office at 1-800-825-8322 or visit bcassessment.ca.
BC Assessment is always there to help if you have any questions about your assessment; they have provided the following resources to help inform the public on what BC Assessment does.
Property Assessments and Property Taxes: A not-so complicated relationship
The Property Tax Equation
How BC Assessment works
**Videos**
Your property value change and property taxes
Understanding Property Assessments & Property Taxes
How are property taxes calculated?
How are taxes calculated if assessment values change?
The property tax rate is expressed as a dollar amount on every $1,000 assessed value. If the property tax rate for residential property is $5, this means that taxes of $5 are charged on every $1,000 assessed value (Assessed value of $100,000 will be charged taxes of $500 (100x$5)).
The following factors affect your tax bill:
+ Changes in the Tax Rate
+ Change in the Assessed Value
+ New Local Improvement charge
+ Changes in Homeowner Grant status
+ Unpaid utilities transferred to taxes.
Taxes cover the calendar year January 1st to December 31st of the current year.
* The Village of Sayward offers various forms of payment options as follows:
**In Person** - Our office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday except holidays. We accept cash, cheque or debit card.
**By Mail** - Should you choose to mail your tax payment, please remember that the post mark is NOT accepted as proof of payment date. It is the date that we receive the funds.
**Post Dated Cheques** - You can pay your taxes with a post-dated cheque to the tax due date. The payment is not deposited in the bank until the date of the cheque.
**E-transfer** - E-transfers are accepted, please contact the Village office for details.
* Other tax levies are charged to the property owner each year. These levies include the following:
BC Assessment Authority (BCAA): The Village receives notification from BCAA each year of the tax rate to be applied to all properties, taxes are collected then submitted to BCAA.
School Tax/Police Tax: The Province of BC sets the tax rates for each School District. The Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General will advise the Ministry of Provincial Revenue the taxation requirement for police tax. Each municipality is required to collect taxes based on these tax rates and then submit the collection to the Ministry of Provincial Revenue.
Municipal Finance Authority (MFA): The Village receives notification from MFA each year of the tax rate to be applied to all properties, taxes are collected then submitted to MFA.
Strathcona Regional District (SRD): The SRD levies the Village for their share of costs for the programs in which the Village of Sayward participates, taxes are collected then submitted to the SRD.
Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District (CSHRD): The CSHRD levies the Village, taxes are collected and submitted to the CSHRD.
Comox Strathcona Waste Management (CSWM): The CRD levies the District, taxes are collected and submitted to the CRD.
Water/Sewer Frontage Tax: This taxation is to pay for the current debenture debts associated with each infrastructure asset.
* Each year, on the last Monday of September, municipalities are required to have a tax sale of all properties with three years of outstanding taxes. The addresses and upset prices (minimum amount required) will be listed below and in the local paper by the middle of September. These properties may be withdrawn from Tax Sale upon payment of delinquent taxes, plus interest to the date of payment. **Please note that delinquent taxes must be paid at the Village office by cash, certified cheque or money order prior to the tax sale for the property to be removed.**
Those who are interested in bidding must come to the Tax Sale and bring a **certified cheque**, **cash** or **bank draft,** **equal to the upset price**. The highest bidder at or above the upset price shall be declared the Purchaser. If the bid goes above the upset price, the Purchaser will have an opportunity to bring in the additional funds that morning. Failure to pay the balance immediately by the highest bidder after the tax sale, will result in the property being offered for sale at 10:00 am on the following day. The new Purchaser has no legal rights to the property until one year from the date of the sale. If successful, the property will then be transferred to the Purchaser and applicable sales taxes and transfer taxes will be due. If within the year, payment of the delinquent taxes plus interest and penalties are made by the owner, the property is removed from the tax sale. The bid amount plus interest for the time their money was held (at a rate set by the Province) will be returned to the Purchaser (bidder).
If there is no bidder on a property, the municipality is declared the Purchaser. Please call the Tax Department at 250-282-5512 or by e-mail at [email protected], if you have any questions.
## **Homeowner Grant Application Process**
Starting in May of 2021 you will apply for your home owner grant online with the Province. Learn more at gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant or phone 1-888-355-2700 to speak to a live agent.
The home owner grant (HOG) is designed to help homeowners reduce their property taxes and homeowners may apply for one grant only in a calendar year. There are two categories of grants:
* The regular grant may reduce your taxes by as much as $770.
* The additional grant may reduce your taxes by as much as $1045.
Apply for the Home Owner Grant
## Property Tax Deferment
Property Tax Deferment is a property tax assistance program offered by the Province and a low-interest loan program that assists qualifying homeowners in British Columbia in paying the annual property taxes on their home. The program is available to Canadian citizens and permanent residents who have lived in British Columbia for at least one year prior to applying for the program. You must occupy the home as your principal residence. Second residences, such as summer cottages or rental properties, do not qualify for tax deferment.
Defer your taxes