Property Taxes

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:

For 2025, the tax rates (mill rates) are as follows:

Residential          8.2923

Non-Residential 14.2517

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)
• Online using PaySimply
• 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.

Tax Installment Payment Program (TIPP)

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• Any payments withdrawn from the account that are dishonored (Not Sufficient Funds), two consecutive months by the Payor’s financial institution will entitle the City of Camrose to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.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Anyone can pay the tax arrears owing against the property and the City of Camrose will discharge the Tax Recovery Notification.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Discharge of Tax Recovery Notification will not be sent to Land Titles until the arrears and penalties are paid in full.
9. 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.
10. 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)

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Anyone can pay the tax arrears owing against the property and the City of Camrose will discharge the Tax Recovery Lien.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Discharge of Tax Recovery Lien will not be sent to the registrar until the arrears and penalties are paid in full.
9. 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.
10. 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.