Property Taxes

Address, Name and Title Changes

Change Address

To change an address, contact the BC Assessment Authority at 1-866-825-8322 or write:

BC Assessment

300 - 1631 Dickson Ave

Kelowna, BC V1Y 0B5

Website

Be sure to include the roll (folio) number of the property, the previous mailing address, the new mailing address, your printed name and a signature.

Or complete the BC Assessment Authority's Change of Address Notification Form online.

Change Name or Title

Any changes related to title requires notifying the Kamloops Land Titles Office. You may contact a land title corrections officer or have these changes made by a notary or lawyer acting on your behalf.

Talk to a Land Title Corrections Officer at:

Kamloops Land Title Office

114-455 Columbia Street

Kamloops, BC V2C 6K4

Website

Tel: 1-877-577-5872

Fax: 1-250-371-3717

Deferments

Tax Deferment forms and Home Owner Grant applications:

• if eligible, must be sent to the City of West Kelowna for approval and must be received in our office by the due date in July in order to avoid paying a late penalty.
• DO NOT send forms directly to the Ministry of Finance office in Victoria as this will cause delays which may result in paying penalties.
• first time deferral applicants must complete the Province of BC's property Tax Deferment Program Eligibility questionnaire (under Do You Qualify? section) prior to submitting your application to the City of West Kelowna. Denied applications may result in penalties being applied.

For forms and information on the deferment program, please visit the Province of BC Property Tax Deferment website.

Home Owner Grants

Registered owners, who are eligible, are responsible for claiming the Home Owner Grant before the due date:

• even if a mortgage company is paying their taxes, homeowners must claim the grant (if eligible)
• Those who make prepayments towards their taxes are also responsible for claiming the Home Owner Grant, if they are eligible, before the due date.
• Homeowner grants must be claimed directly with the City of West Kelowna either
  • online (follow this how-to document for assistance if required),
  • by scanning to email taxes@westkelownacity.ca,
  • fax 778 797-8851,
  • or mailed/dropped off at City Hall (drop box available near the main doors)

To find out more about the Home Owner Grant program, please visit the Province of BC Homeowner Grant website.

Property Tax Notices

Notices are sent by mail in late May for the period of January 1 to December 31 of the current year.

• If you haven't received a tax notice by June 15, please contact the Property Tax Department at taxes@westkelownacity.ca or by phone at 778-797-8860 you can also view your account online (follow this how-to document for assistance if required). 
  • Not receiving a tax notice may occur due to a recent property purchase, if the notice was sent to the previous owner or mailed to an old address. If a property sale occurs during the year, taxes are adjusted by a notary or lawyer. The City of West Kelowna does not adjust taxes due to property sales.
• Notices will include the municipal property tax portion, and, in some cases parcel taxes. Email taxes@westkelownacity.ca or call 778-797-8860 for questions regarding parcel taxes.
• The notice will also include general taxes collected for other levels of government. For questions regarding other charges, please contact the corresponding organization below:
  • BC Assessment Authority: 1-866-825-8322
  • Municipal Finance Authority (MFA): 250-383-1181
  • Regional District of Central Okanagan (Hospital, RDCO, and 911): 250-763-4918
  • School (Province of BC): 250-590-0239
  • Sterile Insect Release Program (RDCO): 250-469-6187

Property Tax Penalties

The City of West Kelowna charges an automatic 10% penalty on all current taxes outstanding as of the tax due date in July.

• Unclaimed home owner grants are also considered late if not received by the tax due date and are subject to the 10% penalty.
• Penalties are mandated under The Community Charter and are not discretionary. A municipality must charge a 10% penalty on late taxes.
• If after December 31, taxes are still not paid, further interest penalties are applied to the outstanding balances. Interest on outstanding balances is calculated at rates set three times per year by the Province of British Columbia. 

Tax Rates

A tax rate is established by taking the total budget of the municipality that must be covered through taxation and dividing it by the total assessed value of all properties in their jurisdiction.

For example, if a municipality requires $30 million from taxation to cover its budget and the total assessed value of all properties within their jurisdiction is $8.9 billion, the tax rate is 0.00337.

Budget Need ÷ Assessed Value = Tax Rate

$30 million ÷ $8.9 billion = 0.00337

This rate is then used to calculate property taxes.

Tax Rate x Assessed Value = Property Taxes

0.0037 x $530,000 = $1,786.10

To find out specific tax rates, please visit the Province of BC Local Government Tax Rates website.

See the current year's Tax Rates Bylaw on the Bylaws page.