Kelowna property owners are being reminded that annual property tax payments are due by midnight on Tuesday, July 3. Residents are reminded to apply for the provincial homeowner grant, if eligible, to help reduce their amount due.
There are multiple ways to pay your taxes including:
• At your financial institution— online, by telephone banking and in person at a branch
· At Kelowna City Hall (1435 Water Street)—by mail, in person and the 24/7 drop boxes located next to the main Water Street entrance or the Doyle Avenue parking lot exit (do not deposit cash in the drop boxes)
· At the Parkinson Recreation Centre (1800 Parkinson Way)—drop box at the front counter
For those who want to skip the line, making an online payment through their bank is the fastest and easiest method, says the city. If paying at city hall with a cashier, payment methods accepted are by cheque, debit, cash or money order.
Residents participating in the pre-authorized withdrawal system (PAWS) are responsible for making their final June payment. This can no longer be authorized from the homeowner grant application, but the city recommends online or telephone banking to conveniently make the payment from home.
“Our city website is an online property tax resource for our residents and we’ve made some improvements to provide even more options for property owners” says City revenue supervisor Angie Schumacher.
“In addition to applying for the homeowner grant directly from kelowna.ca, which has been available for a few years, we’ve launched Online Billing this year. Property owners can now access their city tax and utility billing information in one convenient location.”
Property owners can register for Online Billing by using the folio number and access code found on their 2018 tax notice.
Once registered they will have online access to:
• assessment, balance and financial transaction information
• historical bills
• apply for their home owner grant
• opt-in to go paperless and receive next year’s 2019 tax notice by email
Owners with multiple properties can register all their city accounts to access them in one centralized location.
As per the provincial Community Charter legislation, taxes outstanding after July 3 will be subject to an automatic five per cent late payment penalty, with a second five per cent penalty applied on Aug. 8 on amounts owing.
Some residents may qualify for the provincial tax deferment program, a low-interest loan to pay their annual property taxes on their principle residence. Residents should check their eligibility, apply for the homeowner grant and submit their application to the City of Kelowna in advance of the tax due date.
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