What is Property Tax?
Property tax is a charge on real estate that is collected each year by a municipality or county. The taxes may be applied to municipal, county, provincial or state programs. The City of Edmonton sends out property tax notices in May each year and taxes are due by the end of June.
Real Estate Agent Explains Property Tax
Property tax rates are different based on location, age of the building, the value of the property and improvements made to the property. For example, in Edmonton, property taxes might look something like the chart below. To get up-to-date tax information for your property, you can check out the City of Edmonton’s portal for property assessment and tax information.
| Neighbourhood | Selling Price | Style of Home | Year Built | Taxes (2010) |
| Griesbach | $300,000 | Apartment Condo | 2007 | $2,583 |
| Queen Alexandria | $300,000 | Bungalow | 1948 | $2,219 |
| Belmont | $300,000 | Bungalow | 1999 | $2,362 |
| Belmont | $335,000 | Bungalow | 1994 | $2,733 |
Here we have three houses and one condo worth $300,000, all in different areas, and all their taxes are different. The year the homes were built and where they are factors that affect their property values. Specifically, we have a comparison of two homes in Belmont, Edmonton. They are roughly the same age and they are of course in the same neighbourhood, but since they are worth different amounts, their taxes are different. One house is worth $300,000 and one is worth $335,000. So you can see that any of these factors – price, location and age – could affect the taxes charged by the City of Edmonton on these properties. Other factors that affect property tax are whether the home has a developed basement, the lot size and the size of the home. Larger homes will pay more property tax than smaller homes and homes on larger plots of land will pay more tax as well. Developing a basement (provided permits are acquired) increases the value of the home and increases property taxes by extension.
It is important to note that different areas have different rates that the municipality uses to determine the taxes. Some areas may have property prices that are multiplied by a different rate than others. This rate is called the millage or mill rate, and it can change, even if the property values do not. If a city needs more money, it can just raise the rate, even if real estate values haven’t changed.
Mobile homeowners pay property tax as well, but only a portion of the total tax. They pay property tax on the ‘building portion of the real property, but not the land, which they rent. The land portion tax amount is paid by the mobile home park owner.
Why Does It Matter?
Property taxes are collected by the City of Edmonton (or any other city or county) to help provide services like road maintenance, snow removal, parks and recreational facilities, public transit, neighbourhood renewal programs, and police and fire protection. Property taxes are typically shown on a real estate listing to give homebuyers a sense of what to budget for. Property taxes are just one more thing to consider when shopping for a home.
