Property taxes are the City's main source of income and are used to fund the many services provided in Camrose. Taxes are due every year on June 30th. View the Property Tax Calculator to find out where your taxes go. (The Property Tax Calculator will be updated in May every year with updated tax information in conjunction with the approval of tax rate bylaws.)
How My Property Taxes Are Calculated
Municipal property taxes in Camrose are calculated using the following three variables:
City Tax Rates
Each year, the City reviews how much money is needed to pay for municipal programs and services that are necessary to maintain and enhance the high standard of living in the City of Camrose.
This budget process allows City Council to identify where the money is needed most and helps determine the budget to meet those needs. As part of this process, the City considers where the money to cover municipal programs and services comes from. One of the revenue streams for any municipality in Canada is property taxes.
Once the amount of money needed is determined, City Council calculates the tax rate needed to provide the City with enough money to balance the budget.
Check out the video below to find out how assessment and municipal taxation works:
Education Tax Rate
How the Education Property Tax is Calculated
Every year the province calculates, based on assessment value, the amount each municipality must contribute towards the public education system. The City collects these taxes and distributes them to the provincial government. City Council has no control over the amount of education tax collected.
Your share of the education property tax payment is based on the assessment value of your property and the local education property tax rate.
Why is education partially funded through property tax?
The education property tax provides Alberta’s education system with a stable and sustainable source of revenue. Pooling the education property tax in the ASFF ensures that students receive a quality education regardless of their municipality’s assessment wealth.
Does everyone pay the education property tax?
All property owners pay the education property tax (with some exceptions, such as some non-profit organizations and seniors’ lodge facilities). People who rent or lease property may also contribute indirectly through their monthly rent or lease payments. As the education system benefits all Albertans, people without children in school also pay the education property tax.
Every Albertan benefits from a quality education system. The education property tax supports an education system that is producing the workforce of tomorrow.
What does this mean for my property?
A 2% increase in the education requisition does not translate into a total tax increase of 2%. The education tax is only one portion of the property tax bills. In addition, new growth properties will also contribute taxes to cover the education increase and reduce the impact on existing properties.
Lodge Authority Property Tax
The City of Camrose is also responsible for collecting lodge authority tax from Camrose property owners on behalf of the Camrose and Area Lodge Authority. Camrose and Area Lodge Authority relies on property taxes to support operation of seniors' lodges in Camrose and Bashaw. City Council has no control over the amount of lodge tax levied. 100% of lodge tax collected from Camrose citizens is submitted to the Camrose and Area Lodge Authority. For further information please visit www.camroselodges.ca.
How to Pay My Taxes
You can pay your taxes the following ways:
Through your own online banking
By dropping off a cheque at the City Hall mail drop box with a copy of your notice
By registering for the Tax Installment Payment Program (TIPP)
In-person by Debit Card or Cash at Canada Post using PaySimply to generate a QR code
Credit cards will only be accepted to pay taxes using the option outlined above utilizing PaySimply.
Early Payment Incentive
An incentive allowance is applicable to all monies received up to and including January 31st of the current year as a prepayment of future taxes for the current year. The amount of money received as prepayment shall be limited to an amount equal to the previous year’s current taxes, other than local improvement taxes. (The property owner can only prepay an amount equal to or less than the amount of their prior year's property taxes and have the incentive apply.)
The incentive allowance is then calculated and credited to the respective tax account at a rate of 1.5% on the prepayment amount.
Example: If your property taxes for the previous year were $3,200, that is the amount you could prepay prior to January 31 (of the current year) to which the 1.5% incentive will apply.
However, if your property taxes were $3,200 last year and $3,000 of that amount was for property taxes and $200 was a payment toward local improvements, only $3,000 of a prepayment towards your property taxes would qualify for the incentive.
If there is new paving or concrete done along property frontage, you can choose to pay your portion of that cost off annually with your property taxes. (This amount, when included with a ratepayers annual property taxes, is called a local improvement tax.)
(This incentive is not available to Tax Installment Payment Program participants.)
Property owners have the ability to enter into the Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) program, which would allow them to spread their payments over the current year.
Conditions to join the TIPP are:
All property tax levies, current and arrears and including any supplementary tax levies, must be paid in full prior to the initiation of the Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP).
Any payments withdrawn from the account that are dishonored (Not Sufficient Funds), two consecutive months by the Payor’s financial institution will entitle the City of Camrose to remove the Payor from the TIPP’s program without prior notice. All property taxes will become due and payable and provisions of the tax penalty and incentive by-law will apply.
Payments are only allowed via direct debit (NO CHEQUES).
The Payor is responsible to advise the City of Camrose in writing of any changes required at least two weeks prior to the next payment (ie. Payor information, bank account information, or cancellation of TIPP’s)
To register for TIPP, please contact us at 780.672.4426 or at taxes@camrose.ca.
Pay Taxes Online by Credit Card, or PayPal
Visit PaySimply, our secure third party payment provider, to pay online with any major credit card (Visa, MC, Amex), or PayPal.
To ensure your payment is not late, please pay at least 5 business days in advance of the due date because 5 business days are required for processing. Note: A convenience fee will be applied to cover payment handling and processing charges.
Pay Taxes In-person by Debit Card or Cash at Canada Post
Visit PaySimply, our secure third party payment provider, to generate a QR code to take with you to Canada Post with your payment.
To ensure your payment is not late, please pay at least 5 business days in advance of the due date because 5 business days are required for processing. Note: A convenience fee will be applied to cover payment handling and processing charges.
Tax Recovery
Under Part 10, Division 8, of the Municipal Government Act of Alberta, the City of Camrose is authorized to implement a tax recovery process by establishing timelines and procedures to recover unpaid property taxes. This may include the possession and sale of properties, including distribution of surplus sale proceeds and final disposition of the parcel, as necessary.
The City of Camrose takes all reasonable actions toward recovery of property tax arrears while ensuring the tax recovery process being followed is fair to both the property owner(s) and the City, and within the authority provided under the Municipal Government Act of Alberta.
Tax Recovery Process Relating to land
Each Year the City of Camrose must, not later than March 31, prepare a list of all parcels of land that are more than one year in arrears and forward it to the Registrar at the Land Titles Office. A Tax Recovery Notification will be registered on the Certificate of Title.
Once a Tax Recovery Notification has be endorsed on the Certificate of Title, the person who is liable to pay the taxes must not remove any improvements for which taxes can be levied and for which that person is responsible without the approval of the municipality.
Anyone can pay the tax arrears owing against the property and the City of Camrose will discharge the Tax Recovery Notification.
If the tax arrears are not paid by March 31 of the following year, the City of Camrose will offer the parcel for sale at public auction and may become the owner of the parcel if it is not sold at public auction.
Section 325 (c) of the MGA defines “tax arrears” as “taxes that remain unpaid after December 31 of the year in which they are imposed.” Taxes are in arrears if they are unpaid as of January 1 of the year following the year in which they were imposed. Section 332 states that taxes imposed are deemed to have been imposed on January 1.
Once the Land Titles Registrar has endorsed the Tax Recovery Notification he or she must, not later than August 1, send a notice to the owner of the parcel of land, to any person who has an interest registered against the parcel, and to each owner of an encumbrance as shown on the Certificate of Title for the parcel. The notice must state that if the tax arrears are not paid by March 31 of the following year, the municipality will offer the parcel for sale at public auction, and the municipality may become the owner of the parcel if it is not sold at public auction.
The City of Camrose MUST offer for sale at a public auction any lands with tax arrears that are shown on its tax arrears list.
Discharge of Tax Recovery Notification will not be sent to Land Titles until the arrears and penalties are paid in full.
The City of Camrose must establish a reserve selling price before it can auction a property. The reserve bid is set at a level that is as close as reasonably possible to the market value of the parcel, and any conditions that apply to the sale.
The City of Camrose must advertise the public auction in the Alberta Gazette and one local newspaper. The information in the advertisement must specify the date, time and location of the public auction, the conditions of sale and a description of each parcel of land to be offered for sale.
Tax Recovery Process Relating to Designated Manufactured Homes (DMHs)
Each Year the City of Camrose must, not later than March 31, prepare a list of all DMHs that are more than one year in arrears and forward it to Registries. A Tax Recovery lien will be registered on the DMH.
Once a Tax Recovery Lien has be registered against the DMH, the person who is liable to pay the taxes must not remove the DMH from the lot on which it sits without the approval of the municipality.
Anyone can pay the tax arrears owing against the property and the City of Camrose will discharge the Tax Recovery Lien.
If the tax arrears are not paid by March 31 of the following year, the City of Camrose will offer the DMH for sale at public auction and may become the owner of the DMH if it is not sold at public auction.
Section 325 (c) of the MGA defines “tax arrears” as “taxes that remain unpaid after December 31 of the year in which they are imposed.” Taxes are in arrears if they are unpaid as of January 1 of the year following the year in which they were imposed. Section 332 states that taxes imposed are deemed to have been imposed on January 1.
Once the Registrar has endorsed the Tax Recovery Lien the City of Camrose must, not later than August 1, send a notice to the owner of the DMH, to any person who has an interest or lien registered against the DMH, and to each owner of the Mobile home park in which the DMH resides. The notice must state that if the tax arrears are not paid by March 31 of the following year, the municipality will offer the DMH for sale at public auction, and the municipality may become the owner of the DMH if it is not sold at public auction.
The City of Camrose MUST offer for sale at a public auction any DMH with tax arrears that are shown on its tax arrears list.
Discharge of Tax Recovery Lien will not be sent to the registrar until the arrears and penalties are paid in full.
The City of Camrose must establish a reserve selling price before it can auction a DMH. The reserve bid is set at a level that is as close as is reasonably possible to the market value of the DMH, and any conditions that apply to the sale.
The City of Camrose must advertise the public auction in one local newspaper. The information in the advertisement must specify the date, time and location of the public auction, the conditions of sale and a description of each parcel of land to be offered for sale.
Tax Sale Auction
The tax sale is a public auction of properties that have a tax recovery notification on title or a tax recovery lien against a DMH, as a result of unpaid property taxes outstanding for more than one year.
The City of Camrose, similar to any other municipality in Alberta, is able to recover unpaid property taxes by selling properties of "non-compliant" owners at a public auction.
Properties to be auctioned are subject to a reserve bid that is set by council.
If required, the City of Camrose holds a tax sale auction in September of each year in Council Chambers at City Hall.
Sale terms
Properties are sold as is/where is;
No warranties regarding the said properties;
No consideration of pre-sale nor post-sale conditions;
Non-refundable deposit of 10% of the accepted bid at the time of sale with the balance of the accepted bid within 15 days of the date of sale of property; and
Payments by cash, bank draft, or certified cheque only
GST may be applicable
Note: If the property is occupied it is the purchaser's responsibility to evict the occupants.
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