Taxes

Each year BC Assessment determines the value of your property, and Kitimat Council, as well as other tax authorities, determines a tax rate to cover the year's planned expenditures. (see Finance Department Reports for our current and past tax rate bylaws for Kitimat) The tax rates are multiplied by a home's assessed value to determine the amount of taxes owed. In Kitimat, residential water and waste collection fees are also included in your property tax, as well as a single, flat tax applied to all residential properties.

Property tax notices are mailed out in May each year.  

Your property tax includes school and regional district taxes and other taxing authorities as well. We collect these taxes on their behalf. 

Seniors receive a 10% discount.

For more reading: Details about the 2025 budget and information on how it affects this year's taxes.

Comparing 2024 general residential property taxes by municipality

A chart comparing municipal property taxes

If you have ever been curious about how Kitimat compares to other municipalities for residential property taxes, here is a quick comparison to other nearby northern municipalities.

These numbers use each community's 2024 tax rates, and are based on each community's typical assessed value home, as noted by BC Assessment. Or simply, this shows what a 'typical' house would pay in residential municipal taxes using their local details. This does not include taxes that the municipality would be collecting on behalf of other authorities.

The figure for Kitimat includes:

  • Variable tax rates
  • Flat tax rate
  • Individual costs for water and waste collection which is included, but distinct, on residential property tax notices. 

Home Owner Grants

The Home Owner Grant is a provincial government program which provides a discount for property taxes of eligible properties.

You must apply for the Home Owner Grant each year through the provincial government, not with the District of Kitimat.

Payment of your property taxes is still made directly through the District of Kitimat.

View Your Property Taxes Online
To see your property taxes, including your property tax history, register with our online A-MAIS service.
  • When you first register you will need the roll number and password from your property tax notice.
    After you've registered your roll number and password from your tax notice will not be required.
  • Your property tax history begins from the time you register with A-MAIS.
How to Pay Your Property Taxes

You will receive your property tax notice in May each year.

Payment of taxes can be made through:

  • Online banking
  • Debit card
  • Cash
  • Cheque dated no later than the deadline date

Payment must be received by the District of Kitimat by 4:30 p.m. on the property tax due date or a 10% penalty is charged.

 Avoid the Line, Pay Online
 Use online banking with the following financial institutions:
  • BMO
  • CIBC
  • Envision Credit Union
  • RBC
  • Scotiabank
  • TD Canada Trust

Search for "Kitimat, District - Property Tax" or "District of Kitimat taxes" under "Payees".  The exact name may vary depending on the financial institution.  Contact your financial institution if you need help.
Pay in Person

The District of Kitimat main office is located downtown on the third floor in City Centre Mall.

Reception desk hours are 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

There is a drop slot available by the office doors for after hours drop-offs.

Note: We are closed on July 1 for Canada Day.
Pay by Mail

If you pay by mail keep in mind that the payment must be received at the District of Kitimat office no later than 5:00 p.m. on the property tax due date; the date of the postmark is irrelevant.

Mailing address:

District of Kitimat
270 City Centre
Kitimat, BC
V8C 2H7

Don't forget to apply for your Home Owner Grant (HOG), whether you will be paying your property taxes, paying only a portion of them, or not paying them at all.  See more above. 

Notice of Court of Revision

Each year we send out a letter headlined "Notice of Court of Revision".

The purpose of these letters and the meeting of the tax review panel (Court of Revision) is to confirm that the name(s) we have on file for your property is correct for the District of Kitimat’s flat tax roll.

On the letter, if the information is not correct then please follow the directions to have the information corrected.

If the information is correct, there is nothing further you must do.

These letters are sent out annually ahead of property tax notices and are required as the District includes a flat tax as part of residential property taxes.

Tax Sales

Each year, municipalities must have a public auction called a tax sale for properties which have unpaid property taxes from two years prior.

 

Here are answers to some common questions:

 

Q: What does the price mean on the Tax Sale notice?

A: The price listed is the upset price. The upset price is the total of 3 years of unpaid taxes, plus any penalties and interest that have accrued on each of those three years of taxes unpaid, and administration fees and the Land Title registration fees. The upset price is also the starting bid or the lowest price a property can be sold for at the Tax Sale.

 

Q: If I am a successful bidder, what happens?

A: There is very short window to pay your successful bid. Payment must be submitted to the District of Kitimat by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the tax sale.

 

Q: What happens if I am the successful bidder and I do not make the full amount by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the tax sale?

A: The District will put the property back on the Tax Sale the following day if full payment is not received from the successful bidder by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the tax sale.

 

Q: Do I get access to the property immediately?

A: No. Even if you are the successful bidder the property owner still has one full calendar year to pay off their outstanding taxes and interest. If that happens, the money you have paid, plus interest, is returned to you.

 

Q: What happens once the year passes?

A: If the year passes and the taxes are still not paid by the original owner, title of the property is then transferred to the successful bidder. The previous owner is then entitled to any surplus from the sale (funds collected at the tax sale over and above the upset price and any additional costs that may be allowed), which they must claim from the municipality within nine months.

 

Information about tax sales has been shared from the Government of BC website here.

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