Property tax notices sent to Kamloops land owners

Photo: Unsplash

People who own real estate in Kamloops have started to receive their property tax notices.

Emails were sent out on Friday, May 29 and Canada Post will be delivering notices this week, according to a press release from the City of Kamloops.

With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, the city has altered penalties. For residential property owners, while taxes are due July 2 there won't be any penalties until July 31. From July 31 to September 30 a 5 per cent penalty will be levied. From October 1 onward the penalty is 10 percent.

Commercial property owners won't face a penalty until October 1, when a 10 per cent fee will be levied against them.

For those who qualify, the city advises residents to look into the Provincial Property Tax Deferment, a program from the provincial government; individuals may qualify if they are 55 or older, a surviving spouse, a person with disabilities or financially supporting a child.

As the city relies on taxes to pay staff, contractors and for other things, it's encouraging those who can pay to pay as soon as they can.

“The whole process can be completed online, which is the recommended option this year to aid with social distancing,” says the city's tax manager Cara Dawson, in the press release. “You can claim your Home Owner Grant at Kamloops.ca/eHOG, and you can use online banking through your financial institution’s online bill payments option to pay your property taxes.”