Q: Who determines the assessed value (i.e. CVA) of my property?
A: The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is a not-for-profit corporation responsible for determining the CVA and tax class for all properties in Ontario for municipal and education taxation.
Towards the end of 2008, MPAC will mail notices of assessment to all Township of St Clair property owners advising them of their new CVA based on a January 1, 2008 valuation date.
Q: What do I do if I disagree with the CVA for my property?
A: If you feel that your property has been valued incorrectly you can have your assessment reviewed by MPAC by filing a ‘Request for Reconsideration’. There is no fee for this request and the deadline to apply is March 31st of the taxation year. You can visit the MPAC website here for further information or to obtain a Request for Reconsideration form. Please see our assessment page for further information.
There are three steps to resolving your assessment concerns:
- Contact MPAC
- Ask MPAC to review your assessment through a Request for Reconsideration (RfR)
- File an Apeal with the Assessment Review Board (ARB)
Q: When should I receive my tax bill and what should I do if I do not receive a bill?
A: The Township of St Clair mails property tax bills twice per year. For new properties, Supplementary or Omitted Assessment bills may also be issued.
Interim Property Tax Bills:
The interim property tax bill is the first of two bills issued for a tax year. The interim bill is generally mailed in early February and has two instalments due in March and May. Pre-Authorized Tax Payment (PTP) Program customers enrolled on the instalment plan would have their interim bill payment withdrawn on the due dates in both March and May. Customers enrolled on the monthly instalment plan would have their monthly payments withdrawn on the 15th of the month or next business day.
Final Property Tax Bills:
The final property tax bill is the second bill issued for a tax year. The bill is generally mailed in early July and has two instalments due in both August and October. Pre-Authorized Tax Payment (PTP) Program customers enrolled on the instalment plan would have their interim bill payment withdrawn on the due dates in both August and October. Customers enrolled on the monthly instalment plan would have their monthly payments withdrawn on the 15th of the month or next business day.
Q: I recently received a Supplementary/Omitted Assessment Notice from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). What is it and what happens next?
A: Supplementary Property Assessment Notices are issued by MPAC when there has been a change to a property during the current taxation year due to a change in property classification, an addition, renovation or new construction.
Omitted Property Assessment Notices are issued when the current value assessment for an improvement (e.g., a new home or addition) was not previously recorded on the annual assessment roll. An Omitted Assessment Notice may apply to the current year and, if applicable, for any part or all of the previous two years.
The Township of St Clair will use the information from the Supplementary or Omitted Property Assessment Notices to issue tax bills. It is important to note that if this is a new property such as a condominium, the first regular bill you receive from the Township may only be for a portion of the assessment for your unit. Tax bills will be issued for Omitted Assessments for the current and up to two prior years. Supplementary/Omitted Tax Bills are due in either one or two instalments only regardless of the number of years for which you are receiving bills.
Q: A tax consultant who wants to appeal my property assessment on my behalf has approached me. Do they work for the City? What should I do?
A: You do not need to retain a tax consultant to appeal your property assessment. This can be done by you. Tax consultants are private entities that do not have any connection to the Township of St. Clair or MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation). You are of course, at liberty to retain their services should you so desire. Find out how to appeal your assessment.
