COVID-19 Property Tax Relief
City Council approved the following measures to provide residents relief on property tax payments during the pandemic:
Payment Deadline Extensions
The following changes have been put into place effective until August 31, 2020:
- Extension of the property tax deadline, for all property owners, to August 31, 2020
- Cancellation of May 1, 2020, and July 1, 2020 tax penalties for outstanding taxes
- Cancellation of late sign-up fees for Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPPs)
- Cancellation of Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fees
- Cancellation of notice reprint fees
For anyone who is unable to make the August 31 deadline, please contact 780-538-0315 or taxinfo@cityofgp.com to set-up a flexible, no-fee payment plan with a December 31 deadline.
We encourage everyone able to pay on their deadline to continue to do so.
Tax Payment Rebates
A 1.25% rebate on taxes was approved, equivalent to the previously approved tax increase.
The rebate will be automatically calculated and applied to each tax assessment to effectively create a 0% increase.
Flexible Payment Plans
The City of Grande Prairie is currently waiving the late sign-up fee to sign up for the Tax Installment Payment Plan to make monthly tax payments. For more information please call 780-538-0315, email taxinfo@cityofgp.com or visit cityofgp.com/TIPPs.
For more information on tax assessments and how to make tax payments, visit cityofgp.com/taxation.
Background
At the March 23 Council meeting, Council directed Administration to draft relevant bylaw amendments and procedures for the following:
- Extending the property tax deadline for both residential and non-residential property owners to August 31.
- Eliminating penalty fees for May and July, as well as NSF charges on TIPPs until September 1.
- Pausing all notices and reminders for tax arrears until September 1.
Bylaws amendments for these tax deferrals are set to come forward at a future Council meeting.
The City of Grande Prairie recognizes that families and businesses are facing a great deal of uncertainty as a result of COVID-19. Taking early action on something within the municipality's control was a key factor for our Council.