Edmonton property tax bills mailed out, city waives fee to sign up for monthly payment plan in response to COVID-19

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Property tax bills will soon be landing in mailboxes across Edmonton and the city has made it easier to pay to help property owners hit hard by the COVID-19 impact.

A two per cent administration fee for the monthly payment plan has been waived this year so residents can sign up to pay their bill over the remaining six months of 2021, rather than all at once, without the additional cost. Council opted to waive the administration fee to allow residents to freely switch to the monthly payment plan if they are facing financial challenges this year.

Property owners who want to pay monthly will need to sign up by June 30 and pay the first half upfront while the other half will be divvied up and paid in equal amounts between July and December. For those not on the monthly payment plan, the full amount is due June 30 to avoid a five-per-cent late fee as of July 1.

Cate Watt, the city’s branch manager of assessment and taxation, said Tuesday the fee waiver will provide another option for Edmontonians to pay and allow them to budget out their property tax payments like other monthly bills.

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“Given we’re still feeling the effects of COVID-19, we’re trying to make it easier for property owners who would like to pay monthly,” Watt said. “The monthly payment plan ensures stable cash flow for the city and allows property owners to put property tax payments into their monthly budget. It also ensures they won’t have to worry about any payment deadlines.”

The enrolment process can take up to three weeks and can be completed online or by calling 311.

More than 400,000 property tax notices were mailed out by the city Tuesday as it prepares to collect over $2.2 billion in taxes, of which $482 million will be directed toward the province to fund education. The remaining amount will go toward municipal services and programs as decided by council in the 2021 budget.

Many property owners can expect to see a bill similar to last year’s as council approved a zero per cent tax increase for the first time in over two decades, but this will depend on changes to property assessment values. Properties that have a higher overall assessed value than the market change will likely have a tax increase, even with the freeze. A typical, single-family home assessed at $380,500 will be charged $3,648 in property taxes.

Residents are encouraged to sign up at myproperty.edmonton.ca to review balances and sign up for paperless notices.

duscook@postmedia.com

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