FAQS

Why would I need to appeal my property taxes

If your property has been over assessed or wrongly classified, you are likely paying more property tax than you should. An appeal can potentially reduce your tax burden by correcting the assessed value to make it equitable and reflect market conditions.

Why would I use a property assessment consultant?

Consultants help property owners determine whether their property has been equitably and correctly assessed. If it is incorrect an appeal will be lodged and the consultant will communicate with BC assessment in order to correct the value or any errors.

What do property tax agents do?

They will review the appraisal by BC assessment to check whether the data is correct. They will gather information from the market in order to assess whether there is reason to challenge the value. If an appeal is merited, they will communicate and discuss with BC assessment as to what the correct value should be.

What is the deadline for filing an appeal?

All appeals must be filed by January the 31st for the relevant tax year. If you do not file by this date you will have to wait till next year.

Can I withdraw an appeal once I have made it?

A withdrawal can only be made with the permission of BC assessment. Hence it is very important to make sure that your property is not under-assessed before you appeal.

If I did not receive my notice, does this allow me to appeal after the deadline?

It does not. It is the obligation of the owner to reach out to BC assessment or go to evalue to check what the assessed value is. Landlords are advised to send their major tenants a copy of the notice as they may have the right to appeal.

Will an increase in assessment result in an increase in tax?

Not necessarily. If everybody else’s assessments have gone up by the same amount the only increase you will receive will be related to the additional expenditure that the municipality intends to incur.

If my assessment increased more than my neighbors, should I appeal my assessment?

Assessed value is based upon market value. Your property could have been incorrectly assessed last year and BC assessment are merely doing “catch up,” though it could still be too high.

Can BC Assessment change the value after January 31st?

They can if they find an error or feel that they underassessed the property in the first place.

Is assessed value always equal to market value or sale price?

The value must be equitable with similar properties. Under those circumstances it could be less than market value. There may be certain circumstances that make the sale price over market value and this would need to be adjusted to determine “assessed value.”