Property Tax FAQ
| What are the current tax rates? |
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Bylaw 4816 to set the 2024 tax rates was read a third time and passed by City Council on April 22, 2024.
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| How is my tax bill calculated? |
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| Each year, City Council approves the total amount of money required to support City services. Other sources of revenue including license fees, user fees and provincial grants, are subtracted from this amount. The remaining balance is the amount the City must collect through property taxes. Your property assessment is used to determine your share of the total taxes collected in the City. Municipal property taxes are calculated using two factors:
The municipal tax rate = Total Revenue (municipal budget) required from property tax divided by the total market value assessment. |
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| What is the tax year? |
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| Your annual tax notice covers the period from January 1 to December 31. |
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| When are the tax notices mailed? |
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| The annual tax notices will be mailed May 21, 2024. |
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| When are taxes due? |
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| Annual property taxes are due on or before June 28, 2024. Supplementary tax notices are due within 30 days of our mailing date. |
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| How much will my tax notice be? |
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| You can find out how much your 2024 property taxes will be by using the Tax Estimator. The tax estimator requires your property assessment value from your annual Assessment Notice, or you can obtain your assessment value for free on eServices. |
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| Can I make monthly payments for my taxes? |
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| Yes. The City of Medicine Hat offers a Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP) allowing you to pay your taxes in monthly instalments directly from your bank account, rather than in one single payment. Customers will have to pay the past month's taxes plus a 2% late filing fee. You can apply for TIPP up to June 28 for the current year's taxes. |
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| Why am I being charged a penalty when I didn't receive my tax notice? |
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| Tax Notices are sent to the mailing address recorded at the Alberta Land Titles Office and it is the property owner's responsibility to keep the Land Titles record accurate. Under the Municipal Government Act, once mailed, the tax notice is considered to have been received within seven days. In June of each year, the City of Medicine Hat advertises on our website, the radio and in the newspaper, reminding property owners that taxes are due. It is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure taxes are paid by the due date. Taxes are due June 28 of each year. |
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| I have owned the property for only a few months, why am I being billed for the full year? |
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| All charges on a tax account become the responsibility of the registered owner of the property. When you purchase a property, adjustments for taxes are made between the vendor and the purchaser. |
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| Is there a discount for Seniors? |
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| There is no discount on taxes for seniors. However, the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program has been established by the Government of Alberta. The provincial government also has the Alberta Seniors Benefit Program, which is a monthly income subsidy available to seniors based on income. |