Property tax in British Columbia

Rates are dollars of tax per $1,000 of taxable value: in the District of Saanich in 2026, the total residential rate in School District 61 is 5.2008, so a home with a $1,000,000 taxable value pays $5,200.80 before any home owner grant.

School tax is set by the Province, not by school boards. The School Act requires the Lieutenant Governor in Council, "On or before May 4 in each year", to set rates for each school district, with a separate rate for each property class (s. 119 (3), (9), (10)). Municipalities collect it on the tax notice; in rural areas the Surveyor of Taxes collects it.

Residential (Class 1), 2026. Rates differ by school district (OIC 124/26, April 7, 2026), in dollars per $1,000. Examples: Vancouver (SD 39) 0.9791; Surrey (SD 36) 1.1348; Burnaby (SD 41) 1.1102; Richmond (SD 38) 1.1378; Greater Victoria (SD 61) 1.1719; West Vancouver (SD 45) 0.8225; Fort Nelson (SD 81) 4.2602. The Province says each district's residential rate is based equally on its number of residences and its total residential assessed value.

Non-residential, 2026. One rate applies across B.C. for each class (OIC 122/26): utilities 12.06; supportive housing 0.10; major industry 1.62; light industry 4.04; business and other 4.04; managed forest land 2.23; recreational property/non-profit organization 2.38; farm 7.67.

Additional school tax. Under School Act s. 120.1, owners of high-value homes pay an extra 0.2% on the residential value between $3 million and $4 million and 0.4% on the value over $4 million. BC Assessment determines whether it applies. Budget 2026 raises these rates to 0.3% and 0.6% effective for 2027.

Indexing. Budget 2026 says that "Starting in 2026", school tax increases follow "the three-year average annual change in provincial nominal Gross Domestic Product", replacing the policy in place since 2005. As of October 28, 2026, the Province's school tax page still described increases as limited to the Consumer Price Index rate of inflation.

Each municipality must deliver a tax notice to every owner each year (Community Charter s. 237 (1)), and due dates are set locally. If a council does nothing, the Community Charter's general scheme applies: "property taxes for a year are due on July 2 of the year" (s. 234 (1)). A council may instead set its own due dates by bylaw (s. 235). Such a bylaw can include estimated prepayments before the rates bylaw, discounts for early payment, and penalties and interest for late payment. The first and last due dates for a year's taxes can be no more than 12 months apart (s. 235 (4)). Due dates, instalment plans and penalties therefore vary from one municipality to the next.

For rural properties, the Province lists: notices mailed May 31; taxes due July 2, which is also the deadline to claim the home owner grant or apply to defer without penalty; a 5% penalty on July 3 on the unpaid balance, including any unclaimed grant; and a further 5% on November 1.

The Province notes that owners "cannot appeal your property taxes, but you may be able to appeal your property assessment."

Home owner grant. B.C.'s main relief is the home owner grant. It reduces the annual property tax on a principal residence. For 2026 the Home Owner Grant Act sets the regular grant at $570, or $770 in the northern and rural area. The additional grant for seniors, veterans and people with disabilities is $845, or $1,045 in the northern and rural area. Owners must still pay at least $350 in tax with the regular grant, or $100 with the additional grant. The 2026 threshold is $2,075,000 of assessed or partitioned value; above it, the grant is reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of value over the threshold. Budget 2026 repeals the $200 northern and rural benefit for 2027, so from January 1, 2027 the regular grant is $570 everywhere. Low-income seniors whose grant is reduced or eliminated by the threshold may get a low-income grant supplement.

Deferment. The Province's property tax deferment program is a provincial loan that pays an eligible owner's current-year property taxes. For 2026 and later years, Budget 2026 sets the rate at prime plus 2%, compounding monthly, for both the regular and families-with-children programs.

Other provincial taxes. The speculation and vacancy tax is a separate annual provincial tax with its own declaration. Vancouver also has its own Empty Homes Tax.

First Nations. Owners who pay property tax to a First Nation are told to contact that First Nation for an equivalent home owner grant benefit. From 2026, some First Nations land in rural areas is exempt from rural property tax.