Property Tax Recovery

The purpose of property tax recovery is to provide a means through which municipalities can receive the tax that has been levied. All municipalities in Alberta follow provincial legislation to ensure a municipality can recover property tax that is due.

The City will register a tax recovery notification or lien against the property when property owner has more than one year of tax arrears. If tax arrears continue to remain unpaid, a public auction will be held to recover the unpaid property tax.

A tax recovery notification or lien registered against a property will be removed when the arrears are paid in full.

You can prevent a public auction, by paying the property tax arrears in full.

Frequently asked questions

How do I pay my outstanding balance?

We offer a variety of payment options, which can be found by visiting Property tax payment.

After the tax arrears are paid in full, you will be eligible for the Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP). TIPP is the most popular payment option allowing you to pay in smaller monthly payments instead of one large lump sum.

What happens if I do not pay my property tax?

When a property has tax arrears* for more than one year, a tax recovery notification or lien is registered on the property. All mortgage holders, caveat holders or other parties with an encumbrance will be notified of the tax recovery notification or lien registered on the property.

As directed by the province and in accordance with the Municipal Government Act, The City of Calgary holds a real estate public auction once per year to recover unpaid property tax.

More information: Penalties, tax recovery collection action, and public auction. 

* Tax arrears and arrears penalties are any unpaid tax balance / penalties from previous calendar years (i.e., any year prior to this year).

Are there support programs?

You may be eligible for support through various programs:

If you do not qualify for any of these programs and you cannot afford to pay your outstanding property tax balance your property tax bill is still due. We encourage you to call us at 311 (or 403-268-2489 if outside of Calgary) to discuss your situation. TTY for Hearing Impaired Customers Only: 403-268-4889.

Be Well. Get Help. Stay Safe If you or someone you know is in crisis right now, call the Distress Centre 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 403-266-4357 or visit the Distress Centre. Visit Resources for mental health and addiction support to learn more and to find help with our partners and their programs.

I have a mortgage or line of credit. What do I need to know?

Non-payment of your property tax places you in default with your mortgage or mortgage line of credit. Unpaid property tax increases your risk of collection action from your financial institution or bank, i.e., foreclosure.

If you have a mortgage or mortgage line of credit registered against your property, ensure to communicate your plans to resolve the unpaid property tax with your lender.

The City provides regular updates to financial institutions or banks regarding unpaid tax arrears. 

My financial institution or bank was to pay the property tax. What do I do?

If you received notice of a tax recovery notification or lien, The City has not received payment of the property tax.

Contact your financial institution or bank if your property tax was supposed to be paid by them as part of your mortgage payment. 

You are required to pay your property tax bill on time if your mortgage company is no longer responsible. Late payment penalties will not be waived.

I can't afford to pay my property tax bill. What do I do?

We understand the difficulty of being in this situation. We are here to work with you to discuss the various payment plans or options to consider addressing the tax arrears. Some examples of options to consider are:

  • Customized payment plan for you with The City,
  • Contact your financial institution or bank to discuss mortgage options, or
  • Seek financial advice from a trusted advisor to discuss your specific situation.

We encourage you to call us at 311 (or 403-268-2489 if outside of Calgary). We are here to answer your questions. TTY for Hearing Impaired Customers Only: 403-268-4889.

I didn’t receive a tax notice. How do I update my information?

We send all assessment and tax notices to the registered owner listed on the Certificate of Title. Owners who haven’t received their assessment or tax notice must contact us to obtain an up-to-date statement of account to ensure payment is made on time.  

The Province of Alberta Land Titles Office processes owner and address changes. Visit Property Owner mailing address or change of name  to learn more. 

What are arrears?

Tax arrears and arrears penalties are any unpaid tax balance / penalties from previous calendar years (i.e., any year prior to this year). 

Why do you apply penalties?

Penalties are applied in accordance with Penalty Bylaw 8M2002.

Can you remove my late payment penalty?

If payment was not made by the due date outlined on your tax bill, then late payment penalties will not be waived. The late payment penalty is valid, and payment is required. They will continue to be applied until the unpaid property tax balance is paid. Learn more.

To be fair to all taxpayers, we are consistent when applying penalties. 

 

I still have questions. Who can I talk to?

We encourage you to contact us. For ways to speak to property tax, see the property tax contact page.

More information

Contact Information

For enquiries or to make payment arrangements contact:

  • 311 or (403) 268-CITY(2489) if calling from outside Calgary
  • TTY for Hearing Impaired Customers Only: 403-268-4889
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