Property Tax

*Only applies to specific classes of Non-Residential Properties

If you are Roman Catholic and would like the school portion of your taxes to be directed to that school division, please complete and submit the School Support Declaration Form.

The Town of Whitecourt sends out annual assessment and tax notices on or before May 31 annually. Taxes are due on or before the last banking day in June. Please allow for adequate mailing time to avoid late payment penalties. In accordance with the Municipal Government Act, payments will be considered paid on time if received at the Town Office by 4:30 p.m.; postmarked by Canada Post; or processed by a financial institution on or before the due date. If a Canada Post postmark is absent or illegible, the date received by the Town of Whitecourt will be considered the payment date. Commercial postage meter imprints will NOT be honoured.

An appeal against your assessment does not exempt you from paying taxes on time or from late payment penalties. Appeals can be made by submitting the following completed form to the Town Administration Office. If you have any questions about the appeal process, contact the Tax Clerk at 780-778-2273.

All payments made by cheque must be made payable to the "Town of Whitecourt" and be accompanied by the remittance portion of your tax notice. Please ensure that your cheque is completed accurately as the Town of Whitecourt is not responsible for errors and/or omissions.

Property tax payments can be made:

• In person - At the reception desk on the main floor of the Town Office, Monday to Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Closed between 12 noon and 12:30 p.m.) Cash, cheque, interac, VISA and MasterCard are accepted. The Town accepts credit card payments to a maximum of $5,000.00 total per roll, per year.

• Online using Virtual City Hall

• By mail - Town of Whitecourt, Box 509, Whitecourt AB T7S 1N6

• By using the after hours drop box - Payments made by cheque can be deposited in the drop box at the front entrance of the Town Office.

• By post-dated cheque - The Town of Whitecourt will accept post-dated cheques, however the cheques must be dated on or before the due date.

• By your mortgage company - If your mortgage company is paying your taxes, the mortgage company will receive a report for your taxes and your will receive the original tax notice for your records. The property tax notice will show the name of your mortgage company. If the mortgage company name does not appear on the notice and you believe it should, contact your mortgage company immediately.

• By a financial institution - Payments can be made at most financial institutions in Whitecourt.

Property owners are ultimately responsible for ensuring that property taxes are paid on time. If you have chosen to pay your property taxes through a mortgage company or financial institution, it is recommended that you verify with them that your taxes will be paid in full, and on time.

If you need to change the mailing address linked to your account, please complete the attached form and submit it to the Whitecourt Tax Clerk.

The Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Plan is an easy way to pay your property taxes. It allows you to pay your taxes in twelve monthly installments instead of a single, large payment. It makes budgeting for expense easier, and helps you avoid missed payments or a penalty charge of late payments.

Anyone who wishes to start paying taxes under the Pre-Authorized Payment Plan for the following taxation year is required to submit an application to the Tax Clerk before December 31 of the current year. (In order to be approved for this plan, the tax account balance must be a ta a zero balance.)

• Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Application Form

To cancel your enrollment in the Pre-Authorized Payment plan, please complete the form below and hand it in to the Tax Clerk at the Town Office.

• Pre-Authorized Tax Payment Cancellation Form

The Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program allows eligible senior homeowners to defer all or part of their property taxes through a low interest home equity loan with the Alberta government. For more information visit the Alberta Health website. If you require assistance completing your application to the program, please contact the Whitecourt FCSS Program Coordinator at 780-778-6300.

Property assessments are completed annually to reflect current market values. The Town’s assessor evaluates properties based on a number of variables, including lot and home size.

Whitecourt property owners can access assessment reports online.  To view a report for your property, follow the link below.  You are required to read and agree to the disclaimer, and then will be prompted to select the municipality (Whitecourt Town) and the type of access (general public).  You will then be directed to a property search feature where you can specify which roll, address, or legal description you want.

• Online Access to Assessment Reports

An appeal against your assessment does not exempt you from paying taxes on time or from late payment penalties. Appeals can be made by submitting the following completed form to the Town Administration Office. If you have any questions about the appeal process, contact the Tax Clerk at 780-778-2273.

• Assessment Review Board Complaint Form

• Assessment Review Board - Agent's Authorization Form

For information on what assessment appeal fee would apply to your property, contact the Tax Clerk at 780-778-2273.

• $50.00 to the Regional Local Assessment Review Board

• $650.00 to the Regional Composite Assessment Review Board

To view a report for your property, follow the link below.  You are required to read and agree to the disclaimer, and then will be propmpted to select the municipality (Whitecourt Town) and the type of access (general public).  You will then be directed to a property search feature where you can specify which roll, address, or legal description you want.

• Online Access to Assessment Reports

If a new building or addition to an existing building is completed in the calendar year, a supplementary assessment is prepared. Supplementary assessment reflects an increase in value of a property where a new home or building is completed or occupied during the current tax year. A supplementary tax is determined by multiplying the supplementary assessment (the increase in value resulting from the construction or completion of a new home or building) by the tax rate, and pro-rating this amount based on the period of time the building has been completed or occupied for the current tax year.

Supplemental Tax Notices are mailed out in the middle part of November each year, and payments are always due by January 31 of the following year.

When calculating a supplemental tax levy, the assessor take into consideration the safety code date, possession date, and the date the utilities were hooked up. For example, if a home was completely finished and a home owner moved in on June 1, the calculation would be based from June 1 to December 31 of that year.

A Tax Certificate is a Town produced document that details the following information:

• The property owner

• Tax roll number

• Legal description

• Property address

• LINC number (a number assigned to the property from Land Titles)

• Last levy date (the date the last tax levy (bill) was issued on the account)

• Last tax levy

• Supplemental levy

• Taxes outstanding

• Utility acccount balance

• Accounts receivables balance

• Pre-payment amount

• Date of the last payment

Tax certificates can be requested through our online Virtual City Hall program. To activate your account, and complete the tax certificate request, click here. The charge for a tax certificate is $25.00.