Property Taxes and Assessment

COVID-19 Property Tax FAQs

As a result of the current COVID-19 Stay-at-Home order in Ontario, City Hall is not open for in-person property tax payments. Please see below for other payment options. For the latest information about impacts to City services and programs as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, please visit the City's coronavirus webpage.

Support for businesses impacted by COVID-19 can be found through:

the Province of Ontario
the Burlington Chamber of Commerce

How can I make a payment?

Taxpayers have numerous ways of remitting payment for property taxes that respect physical distancing;

Pre-authorized Payment Plans (10 Month, Due Date, Taxpayer Defined)
Directly through financial institutions – by internet, telephone banking or ATM
Regular mail or physical drop box (at the Locust Street entrance of City Hall)
3rd party credit card processing companies

Property taxes are the most important revenue source for the City to ensure we continue to provide essential services for residents of the City of Burlington during these challenging circumstances.

How do I contact the property tax office?

Staff are answering our tax phone line 905-335-7750 during business hours (8:30am-4:30pm Mon-Fri). Due to higher than normal call volumes you may need to leave a message and a staff member will return your call.

We can be reached by emailing propertytax@burlington.ca for any inquiries or by email to pap@burlington.ca for inquiries specific to our pre-authorized payment plans.

2021 COVID-19 Property Tax Deferral Payment Plan

Property owners that are experiencing financial hardship directly related to COVID-19 and unable to pay property taxes by the regularly scheduled tax due dates can apply for a deferred pre-authorized monthly payment plan if they meet eligibility criteria. Equal monthly withdrawals will allow for the property taxes to be paid in full by Dec 1, 2021. Property owners may choose which month they would like to start the pre-authorized monthly payments. The options for start dates are April 1, May 1, June 1 or July 1.

Property owners with an unpaid balance on their account from March 1, 2020 onward can include this balance in the pre-authorized monthly payment plan. Immediately following enrollment, penalty/interest is suspended for the duration of the deferral as long as payments are made.

The monthly withdrawal amount is calculated by taking an estimate of the total 2021 tax year levy plus any eligible 2020 tax year balance. This total amount will be divided over the number of monthly withdrawals based on the start date, to the last withdrawal on Dec. 1, 2021.

First Withdrawal	Deferral Spread Over	Application Deadline
Apr 01, 2021	9 months	Mar 22, 2021
May 01, 2021	8 months	Apr 21, 2021
Jun 01, 2021	7 months	May 21, 2021
Jul 01, 2021	6 months	Jun 21, 2021

Eligibility Criteria

Any outstanding tax balances from tax installment dates before March 1, 2020 must be paid in full.
Taxes are paid directly to the City, not by a financial institution as part of a mortgage agreement.
The program is intended for property owners that have been directly impacted with financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and are experiencing hardship in one or more of the following categories:
- Homeowners
  - Prolonged suspension of pay
  - Loss of employment
- Business Properties
  - Extreme business revenue loss
  - Business closure

The expectation is that property owners with tenants will pass along the deferral arrangement.

Program Details

Payments will be made through a pre-authorized payment plan, therefore applicants will be required to provide banking information and authorizations.
Immediately following enrollment, late payment charges, penalties and interest will not be applied to the outstanding property tax arrears as long as monthly payments are paid in full.
Monthly withdrawals will be determined based on equal payments for the duration of the plan and can include past balances for taxes and penalties due after March 1, 2020.
The 2021 tax levy will be estimated at the time of enrollment (if before June 1). An adjustment will be made for the June 1 withdrawal to provide for the actual final 2021 tax levy.
The City reserves the right to recalculate the monthly payments during the term to reflect any changes in assessment value or property taxes.
All outstanding taxes will be paid in full as of the Dec. 1, 2021 withdrawal.
The City Treasurer may cancel the privilege of continuing the plan if three withdrawals fail to be honoured in a taxation year. The unpaid balance of taxes shall be subject to penalties if overdue.
The City Treasurer may cancel the privilege of continuing on the plan if returns are not replaced within 10 business days. The unpaid balance of taxes shall be subject to penalties if overdue.
Once the property owner’s tax arrears have been paid in full and their account is current, this application will automatically be converted to the City’s regular monthly pre-authroized payment monthly plan unless the property owner terminates this application in writing.
Owners providing false or inaccurate information will be immediately removed from the program and the unpaid balance of taxes shall be subject to penalties if overdue.

Apply for COVID-19 Pre-authorized Monthly Property Tax Deferral...

Property Assessment Update and COVID-19

As a result of the pandemic surrounding COVID-19, the reassessment originally scheduled to be completed for the 2021-2024 taxation years has been postponed.

Please visit the following link to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) for updates regarding the reassessment.

https://www.mpac.ca/HowAssessmentWorks

For the 2021 taxation year, your property’s assessed value will be the same value as that from the 2020 taxation year unless there have been changes to your property.

For information regarding an appeal of your property assessment, please visit the appeals page.

Where do your tax dollars go?

Your total property tax bill provides for more than just the cost of city services. Like the city, Halton Region prepares a budget each year, with a large part of their operating expenditures funded through property taxes. The Province determines education tax rates.

The City's portion of the overall 2021 residential tax bill is 45.4 cents of every tax dollar and the remaining 54.6 cents goes to Halton Region and the Province of Ontario for education taxes.

The city considers it very important for taxpayers to understand what city services they receive for their property tax dollars. For 2021, an urban residential property assessed at $500,000 amounts to approximately $1,770 in property taxes for city services.

Where Your 2021 Tax Dollars Are Spent

(per $500,000 of residential assessment)

Service	Amount
City Services (45.4%)	$ 1,770.08
Capital	$ 413.01
Public Safety Services	$ 326.27
Maintenance Services	$ 246.13
Roads and Transportation	$ 245.47
Internal Support and Administration	$ 210.61
Leisure Services	$ 188.56
Local Boards and Other Agencies	$ 147.76
Design and Build	$ 33.85
Hospital Levy	$ 32.15
Customer Relations and Citizen Representation Services	$ 23.91
Mayor And Council	$ 17.10
Net Corporate Revenues	$ (114.74)
Regional Services (35.0%)	$ 1,362.84
Halton Regional Police Service	$ 504.05
Road Operations	$ 172.25
Waste Management Services	$ 141.40
Public Health and Paramedic Services	$ 118.60
Housing	$ 108.00
Other Services	$ 91.24
Services for Seniors	$ 58.20
Planning & Economic Development	$ 47.50
Conservation Authorities & Heritage	$ 36.00
Children's Services	$ 35.45
Property Assessment	$ 29.45
Employment & Social Services	$ 20.70
Education (19.6%)	$ 765.00
Total 2021	$ 3,897.92

Additional Information
Select a link below to learn more about:

Paying taxes - when taxes are due and payment options
Tax rates - rates for the past few years
Property assessment - how to look up your property assessment and resources for understanding and estimating assessments
Rebates and deferrals
Updates to mailing address or ownership - moving or changing mailing address
Contacts and related links - important contacts for assisting with property taxes and assessments
Appeals - how to file an appeal
Tax Applications - for tax reductions due to demolition, fire, exemptions, etc.