Changes to Courtenay Property Tax Payment Options due to COVID-19

Courtenay property tax notices were mailed on May 27-28, 2020, and will be arriving in mailboxes in the coming days. The City is advising property owners to review available options for property tax payment and home owner grants due to ongoing facility closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Payment options include online or telephone banking through your financial institution, in the mail slot at the City Hall front entrance, and by mail. Email transfers (e-Transfers) are not accepted.

Detailed payment options and a link to the electronic Home Owner Grant are available on the City of Courtenay website at www.courtenay.ca/tax . An information pamphlet is also included in the property tax envelope.

“Our staff are carefully and methodically proceeding through Worksafe BC’s detailed COVID-19 guidelines for local government before our facility can reopen, prioritizing the safety of our staff and the public,” said Mayor Bob Wells. “This means our usual in-person options for property tax payments and claiming home owner grants are not yet available.

“We have seen a steady increase in people using online options for property taxes and home owner grants over the past few years, and we encourage all property owners to choose from one of these other available methods,” added Wells. “Taxpayers needing a little extra guidance on these options can call or email our helpful staff at City Hall and they will do their best to assist.”

The City is working on a possible in-person payment option in the coming weeks for those that absolutely can’t pay online or by mail. However, this option has not yet been established, and is not guaranteed to be in place prior to the property tax deadline on July 2, 2020. The City highly recommends using other available options.   

Late payment penalties for Commercial properties (classes 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 ) are postponed to October 1, 2020 through the Province of B.C.’s COVID-19 Action Plan. Commercial property owners must pay by September 30 to avoid penalty, but are encouraged to pay earlier, if possible.

For more information, visit www.courtenay.ca/tax  For further assistance call 250-334-4441 or email finance@courtenay.ca