City of Port Colborne

The Billing of Realty Taxes is normally done through an Interim Tax Bill provided in January and a Final Tax Bill produced in June. Both Interim and Final Bills are payable in two installments with due dates at the First of each month as follows:

INTERIM DUE DATE:     March and May
FINAL DUE DATE:     July and October

Properties with more than one property class, i.e. Residential and Commercial. Property owners will receive a Tax Bill for the portion of property assessed in the Residential class and a separate Tax Bill for the portion of property assessed in the Commercial class. In other words, you will receive 2 Interim and 2 Final Bills for such properties.

Interim Tax Bills are calculated using the following formula:
Present Year Assessment X ½ of Last Years Tax Rate

Please be informed, due to current Legislation, the Interim Bill cannot amount to more than ½ of the previous year's Final Adjusted Taxes. The Interim Bill does not represent half of the current year's taxes.

Owners of Residential or Farm properties can calculate their annual taxes by multiplying the property's assessment by the appropriate tax rates.

Property Tax Bills for portions assessed (in whole or in part) in the Commercial, Industrial or Multi-Residential classification are subject to Capping Legislation. Therefore Final taxes are not limited to the Assessment multiplied by the Tax rates otherwise referred to as CVA taxes.

Tax Sheet - City, Region, Education Tax Rates and Levy

Files Available for Download:
2011 Tax Rates (PDF)

Files Available for Download:
Tax Address Change Form (PDF)

Files Available for Download:
Application for Adjustment of Taxes - Section 357 or Section 358
This application must be printed on legal size paper (8.5 x 14)

Rebate for Vacancy in Commercial and Industrial Buildings:

Property tax relief for Vacant Commercial and Industrial Buildings has been provided to property owners since 2001 through rebates administered by the Municipality.

Property owners who are eligible for a rebate must complete the Vacant Commercial and Industrial Building Questionnaire. Application for Rebate of Property Taxes and sign a Statutory Declaration.  These forms are available at City Hall, or can now be downloaded in PDF form. The completed forms are available the beginning of January for the previous year and must be returned by February 28th of the following year.

To be eligible for a rebate, a building or portion of a building must satisfy the following conditions:

Buildings that are Entirely Vacant

An entire Commercial or Industrial building will be eligible for a rebate if the entire building was unused for at least 90 consecutive days.

Buildings that are Partially Vacant

A suite or unit within a Commercial building will be eligible for a rebate if, for at least 90 consecutive days it was:

·         Unused, and

·         Clearly delineated or physically separated from the used portions;

          and

·         Either:  capable of being leased for immediate occupation, or not

          capable of being leased due to ongoing renovations or unfit for 

          occupation.

Files Available for Download:

Vacancy Application

Assessment Complaints
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for determining the Current Value Assessment and Tax Class for all properties in Ontario.

You may contact MPAC (1-866-296-6722) to discuss your assessment or verify details about your property. If you still have concerns, you may ask MPAC for a reconsideration of your assessment. There is no fee for a Request For Reconsideration (RFR) the deadline is March 31st of the taxation year.   You can find RFR applications on the MPAC web site (www.mpac.ca) If you do not have access to the Internet, MPAC will send you a copy of the form by mail or fax. You may also pick up an RFR form at Port Colborne City Hall.

You may also wish to file a formal complaint with the Assessment Review Board (ARB). The ARB is an independent tribunal of the Province of Ontario.  Starting in 2009, if your property or a portion of it is classified as residential, farm or managed forest, you must first complete the RFR process with MPAC before you are eligible to file an appeal with the ARB.

Application forms can be obtained by phoning the ARB, visiting the ARB web site, or can be picked up at the local MPAC office or from Port Colborne City Hall. There is a fee for filing a complaint with the ARB. (Please contact the ARB for applicable fees)  The deadline for filing a complaint for the current tax year is 90 days after MPAC has notified you of its decision on your RFR or March 31st of the taxation year if your property has no residential, farm or managed forest classification.  Both the property owner and MPAC will be asked to appear at a hearing to present evidence to support their arguments. The decision of the Board is final and binding on both parties. You can find out more about the assessment appeal process on the ARB web site (www.arb.gov.on.ca) or by calling their toll free number at 1-800-263-3237 or local at 416-314-6900.

We offer our customers the following and most convenient ways to make payment for taxes:
  -  Pre-authorized automatic withdrawals from your bank account for: Taxes:
     Monthly or Due Date payment plans
  -  By phone using Telephone Banking
  -  At any Financial Institution in person or at Automatic Teller Machines
  -  A 24 hour mail slot is located at the east-side of the front entrance of
     City Hall
  -  Mail Post-dated Cheques for the due date (well in advance) to:
     66 Charlotte Street, Port Colborne ON L3K 3C8
  -  In person, on the First Floor of City Hall
  -  Payment arrangements for outstanding property tax accounts can be
      made by contacting the Tax Clerk (see contact information below).

Files Available for Download:
Tax Pre-authorized Payment Plan Application (PDF)

Contact Information:

Karen Powell
Tax Clerk
66 Charlotte Street
Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada L3K 3C8
Tel.:     905-835-2900 ext 123
Fax:     905-834-5746
Email the Tax Clerk