Defer Your Property Taxes
Tax deferment is a low interest loan program that helps qualified B.C. homeowners pay their annual property taxes on their principal residence.
Here's how it works:
- Receive your annual property tax notice
- Confirm you qualify for one of the tax deferment programs
- Make sure your property tax account is up to date
- Submit your application online
- Ensure all other owners provide authorization
- Check the status of your application
- Know what to expect if your application is approved
- Renew your tax deferment loan agreement each year
There are certain situations where property taxes can’t be deferred. Find out when you can’t defer your property taxes.
Property Tax Deferment Process
1. Receive your annual property tax notice
Annual property tax notices are sent out every May. Contact your property tax office if you didn't receive your tax notice by the end of June.
City of Vancouver residents have to wait until their main tax notice billing period before they can apply. Find out more.
Important: Applying for property tax deferment does not automatically include the home owner grant. Don’t forget to also apply for the home owner grant when you receive your tax notice.
2. Confirm you are qualified
There are two tax deferment programs you may qualify for:
Regular Program
You may qualify for the Regular Program if you’re:
- 55 or older during the current year
- a surviving spouse of any age, or
- a person with disabilities
Find out more about the Regular Tax Deferment Program.
Families with Children Program
You may qualify for the Families with Children Program if you're a parent, stepparent or financially supporting a child.
Find out more about the Families with Children Program.
3. Pay outstanding property tax debts
Your property tax account must be up to date. This means you must pay any property taxes owing from previous years, penalties, or interest before you apply to defer your taxes. The only amount outstanding on your property tax account should be the current year’s taxes (class 1 or class 1 and 9) minus your home owner grant (if eligible).
4. Apply online
Applications are submitted online. Find out:
Apply for Property Tax Deferment
5. Ensure all other owners provide authorization
If there is more than one registered owner of the property, only one owner needs to complete the full application. However, each registered owner or authorized representative must provide authorization by agreeing to the application’s terms and conditions.
After you submit your application, you will be given a confirmation number to share with the other owners. They will have 30 days from the date of the application submission to enter into the agreement.
Provide Authorization for Deferment
Your application will not be processed until all owners enter into the agreement. Your application will be cancelled if each owner does not enter into the agreement within the 30 days.
6. Check your application status
After you apply, you can check your application status online through eTaxBC using your:
- Confirmation number, or
- Roll number and last name
If your application is submitted before the property tax due date but is approved after the due date, you won’t be charged a late payment penalty.
However, if it's past the property tax due date and we find that you aren’t eligible for deferment or authorization is not provided by all owners, then your property tax office may charge you a late payment penalty on the unpaid taxes.
7. Know what to expect if your application is approved
If your tax deferment application is approved, we will pay your property taxes on your behalf and place a restrictive lien on your property. This means you are limited in the types of changes you can make to your property’s title while you are in the tax deferment program.
If you applied for the Regular Program, a $60 fee is added to your account. There are no fees for the Families with Children Program.
Your approval letter contains account information you can use to enrol for an eTaxBC account. An eTaxBC account allows you to see your account balance, send us a message, make a payment and more. Registration in eTaxBC is optional.
Simple interest is charged on the deferred tax amount starting from the date your property taxes are due or the date you applied to defer, whichever is later. Find out how interest is applied to your tax deferment loan.
8. Renew your loan agreement each year
When you apply online, you can choose to set up automatic renewal. If you don’t set up automatic renewal, you’ll need to re-apply each year.
Learn more about annual statements and the renewal process.
When you cannot defer your property taxes
You cannot defer your property taxes if:
- You don't meet ALL program qualifications
- Your current year property taxes have already been paid in full
- You have overdue property taxes in arrears for previous years
- It’s a second residence like a cottage, summer home or rental home
- Your residence isn't taxed as a residential (class 1) improvement
- You have a restrictive lien on title, such as a Certificate of Pending Litigation, Injunction, Caveat or Judgment
- The property is taxed by a First Nation
- The property is leased from the Crown or Municipality
- The property shows you as a registered owner entirely "in trust." If the property is held partially in trust, contact our office to confirm your eligibility before applying
- The property shows you as an executor/executrix of the will of a deceased owner, or as an administrator of the estate of a deceased owner
- It’s a float home or on stilts that doesn’t have a property title registered with the Land Title Office
Contact your lender prior to applying to ensure approval into the program does not conflict with the terms of your loan
Note: If there's an option to purchase on the property title, the property may not qualify for deferment. Contact us for more information before you apply.
