Paying Your Taxes

At its April 18 meeting Brazeau County Council passed the 2017 Tax Rate Bylaw (Bylaw 945-17), establishing rates for taxation for 2017. Council voted to maintain the municipal tax rates with a 0% increase. This decision also reflects a continuation of the 30% reduction in the residential and farmland tax rate that was implemented by Council decision in 2015. The tax due date is June 30.

Although municipal tax rates remain unchanged from last year, Brazeau County’s non-residential property owners will see an increase in their overall taxes due to the school levy.

Overall taxes will also be impacted by a 22% increase in the seniors tax rate due to an increase in the requisition and the decrease in the taxable assessment. The overall impact on your taxes will be based on an increase or decrease in your property assessment.

Brazeau County is required to levy taxes for the Alberta School Foundation and the Brazeau Seniors’ Foundation each year. Both are identified as separate lines on tax notices that are sent out.

Also for 2017, Brazeau County commercial property owners who pay their taxes by the June 30 deadline will qualify for a 30% rebate on their municipal taxes, as per Council direction. Those eligible for the rebate will be notified by a letter accompanying their tax notice.

Tax notices will be mailed the last week of May for payment on, or by, June 30.

Taxes not paid by the June 30 deadline are subject to a 1% penalty as per Bylaw 889-15. An additional 1% penalty is added for each following month until the taxes are paid in full.

For those looking at ways to ease the burden of paying their taxes in one payment, Brazeau County offers a Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP).

Brazeau County offers payment plan options for taxes

Brazeau County knows that each of its residents is as unique as the contributions they make to the community. That’s why the County offers options when it comes to payment of annual taxes.

For those who prefer to budget throughout the year, Brazeau County offers the Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP). The plan allows property owners to pay their property tax in monthly instalments instead of a single payment each year. Paying monthly breaks property taxes into smaller amounts, which can be easier to budget for some individuals and families. Payments are withdrawn from your bank account on the last business day of the month.

It’s easy to sign up! The only requirements are that you have chequing or saving privileges at a financial institution (bank, trust company, treasury branch or credit union), and that you do not currently pay your taxes through a mortgage company Principle, Interest and Taxes (PIT) program.

Once you sign up and have been accepted into the program any estimated or actual taxes owing in the taxation year will be distributed equally over the remaining monthly payments in the year, based on the application date.

If this program sounds like it fits the needs of you or your family you can download the Tax Instalment Payment Plan application form from our website at www. brazeau.ab.ca/county-hall/corporate- services/monthly-payment- plan. Application forms are also available at the Brazeau County Administration Building.

 For more information on our Tax Instalment Payment Plan, please contact our office at 780-542-7777.