Property Taxes

• Key Tax Dates and Penalty Information

  Your property tax notice is mailed out May of each year, and current taxes are due by the date indicated on the front of this mailed notice and are outlined in the chart below.

  Key Property Tax Dates

  Item	Date	Description
  Tax bill time period	January 1 to December 31	Property tax bills cover the calendar year.
  Tax bill mailing	last week in May	Property owners who have not received a tax bill by the first week of June can contact the Tax Administrator to request a copy of the bill.
  Tax due date	Last Business Day in June	Property tax payment: options and instructions.
  Penalty Calculation If current taxes are not paid on or before the tax due date, then penalties will be added as follows:	July 1	4% penalty is added to any current year's unpaid tax bill balance
  	August 1	4.5% penalty is added to any current year's unpaid tax bill balance
  	September 1	5%  penalty is added to any current year's unpaid tax bill balance
  	After September 30	1.5% penalty is added to any unpaid tax bill balance on the first day of each month (January through December), on the balance outstanding at the end of the previous month

  NOTE: If a complaint has been filed against the assessment, then the property taxes must still be paid by the due date to avoid penalties. If a decision results in a credit balance, a refund will be issued within 30 days.
   

• How do I get a copy of my property tax bill?

  If you have not received your property tax bill, please contact the Tax Administrator.  Non-receipt of your property tax bill does not exempt you from late payment penalties.  All charges on a tax account are the responsibility of the registered owner of the property.  When you purchase a property, adjustments for taxes are made between the vendor and purchaser.

• Sign up for paperless notices

  Sign up for to receive your tax notices electronically by email. You can also use this form to change or update your email address:

  Sign up for electronic tax notices

• Ways to Pay Your Property Taxes in Okotoks

  Payment must be received by the Town on or before the payment due date. Pay early to avoid lineups at the Municipal Centre and banks (drop off  your post-dated cheque any time).  If you have not received your Tax Notice yet or need more information on your property taxes, you may contact the Tax Administrator in Finance.  

  Ways to pay your property taxes 

• How is your property tax levy calculated?

  Town Council approves the operating budget based on the expenditures required to support Town services.  From this amount sources of revenue other than property taxes, such as user fees and provincial grants, are subtracted.  The balance is the amount raised by property taxes. 

  The following video provides a brief description of how property assessments are connected to property taxes.

   

  If you are interested in more detail and like math, this video goes into a bit more detail:

• Where do your tax dollars go?

  Property taxes are used to pay for programs and maintain services such as Protective Services, snow removal, road, park and pathway maintenance, Community Services (Recreation Centre, Community programs, FCSS and Cultural & Historical Services).  

• Supplementary Tax Bills

  If a new building or an addition to an existing building is completed in the calendar year, a supplementary tax bill will be issued by the end of the year. The supplementary tax bill will reflect the number of months the building was completed or occupied during the year. To avoid penalties, supplementary tax bills must be paid by the due date as noted on the tax bill. If you participate in the Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP), your supplementary tax bill will show the adjusted monthly payment amount.

• Bylaws / Tax Rate & Mill Rate

  The following bylaws relate to authorized rates of taxation levied against different types of properties:

  1. Assessable residential and non-residential properties:
     Assessable and Supplementary Tax Rates Bylaw

  2. Assessable annexed land:
     Annexed Lands Property Tax Rates

• Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program

  Seniors in Alberta now have the option to defer their residential property taxes to keep extra money in their pockets and enable them to stay in their homes longer.  Through the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program, homeowners 65 and older can defer all or part of their residential property taxes through a low-interest home equity loan with the Alberta government. The loans are repaid when the home is sold, or sooner if the senior chooses.  For more information, visit the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program.

• Notice to Residents of Glorond Place

  Did you know that since you do not have a community mail box, you must register for a mailbox at the main Canada Post branch, 27 McRae Street.  A mailbox and PO Box mailing address will be assigned for your place of residence with mail service pick-up directly located in the main branch post office.   

  For any questions regarding your mail service to your household, please call the Okotoks Canada Post office at 403-938-4233.

Education Taxes

• School Declaration: indicate which school system you'd like your education taxes allocated to

  In the Town of Okotoks there are both a public school district and a Catholic school district. Property owners are are required to file a School Support Declaration form when a new property is acquired. This will determine which system your education tax dollars are alloted. School support is shown as “undeclared” unless a declaration of school support is filed by the owner. To change your school support designation, you will need to fill out a School Support Declaration amd submitting it to the Tax Administrator. Note: The change does not take effect until the following calendar year.  

  Fill out the school support notice form:

  School Support Form

• Who decides the education tax rate?

  The Province of Alberta sets the education tax rate each year. The Town of Okotoks collects this tax on behalf of the province, but we do not control the amount charged.

• What is a requisition?

  The Town is required to collect taxes (i.e. requisitions) on behalf of the Province of Alberta for education, as well as senior housing. The Town doesn’t set or control these; we just pass the money collected directly onto the province (and others).  

• What portion of my Property Tax bill goes toward education taxes?

  Approximately one third of your property tax bill goes to the Province of Alberta for education. To see a breakdown for your property, use the Town’s property tax estimator to see a breakdown of the split between municipal taxes and requisitions, like the education tax, that are collected on behalf of the Province.

• Can the Town do anything to lower this tax?

  No, the education tax is set at the provincial level and applies to all municipalities. The Town’s role is only to collect and send these funds to the Province.

• What is an education tax?

  Each year, the Alberta Government determines the total amount of revenue that will be required for education purposes through the property taxation system across the province. Education taxes are not subject to control or review by the Town of Okotoks. The Government of Alberta uses the education property tax to support public and separate school students in grades one to 12. Education property taxes are pooled and then distributed to all Alberta school boards on an equal per-student basis. The majority of these funds are for instruction, including teacher salaries, textbooks, and other classroom resources. 

  For more information visit:  Government of Alberta Education Property Tax. 

• Why do municipalities collect education tax?

  Under Provincial legislation the Town is required to administer and collect the education tax on behalf of the Province for public and separate school boards. The total assessment of all property in a municipality is used as the basis to calculate that municipality’s share of the total provincial amount. Every municipality’s share of the total provincial amount is called the education property tax requisition. 

• Who must pay the education property tax?

  All property owners in Okotoks, residential and non-residential, are required to pay education property taxes including those without children in school and senior citizens. 

• How does your property assessment impact the education property tax requisition?

  Annually, the Province sends out the education tax requisition to all municipalities in the province. The municipality is then required by Provincial legislation to collect the revenue required to pay the requisition through the property assessment and tax system. Your property assessment is used to calculate your share of the revenue required to pay the requisition for Okotoks. This part of your total property tax bill is collected by the Town and sent to the Alberta Government. This is not additional revenue for the Town.