Property Taxes

Government of BC Property Tax Deferment

Property Tax Deferment Program - 55 or older, surviving spouse, living with disabilities

The BC Property Tax Deferment Program is a loan program that allows homeowners to defer the annual property taxes if they are aged 55 or over, a surviving spouse, a Person living with a Disability and meet the eligibility criteria.

• If you wish to defer your taxes for the first time, please complete the go to the Province of BC's website, to see if you are eligible.
   
• If you already have an account and would like to defer your property taxes again this year, complete the deferral renewal form online and complete your HOG and submit it to the Village Office by the deadline to avoid the penalty on the deferred amount.  Please note, if you are refinancing or selling your home, do not complete your renewal; call the Tax Deferment Program Office.
   
• Family with Children Property Tax Deferment Program

The Family with Children program is available to eligible families that are financially supporting children under the age of 18 at any time during the tax calendar year. The eligible owner must be able to provide proof that they are financially supporting a child, must complete an online declaration form and have one of more children under the age of 18.

For more information on these programs, locating the onlineforms, and learning of the chargeable interest rates, please visit the BC Ministry of Finance - Property Tax website, or call the Deferal Office at 1 888 355 270

In addition to collecting taxes for municipal purposes, the Village is also required to collect and remit taxes on behalf of other taxing authorities, including school tax on behalf of the provincial government.  Starting in 2019, the provincial government will apply an additional school tax on properties assessed at $3 million and above.

The additional tax rate is:

• 0.2% on the residential portion assessed between $3 million and $4 million
• 0.4% on the residential portion assessed over $4 million

If your property is assessed at $3 million or higher, you will see the additional school tax on your 2019 property tax notice, which will be mailed out the first week of June.

For more information, visit www.gov.bc.ca/schooltax

The Property Tax Prepayment Plan provides a means of budgeting tax payments over a 10-month period to avoid having to make one large, lump sum payment for the next tax year in July. The Property Tax Prepayment Plan is easy to start and you need to complete an advice from available at the Village Office. This plan is only available to the registered property owner.

2026 Property Tax Prepayment Application Form

• Pay using most telephone or Internet banking services provided by banks and credit unions (does not include over-the-counter payments at the bank or automated teller machines - please check with your banking service). If paying by this process, ensure there is enough  time for the bank to post the payment to the Village of Lions Bay before the deadline.
• In-person by cheque or cash at the Village Office: 400 Centre Rd, Lions Bay (Details on the reopening of the Village Office will be made soon)
• Mail or deliver a cheque to the Village Office early enough to be received before the deadline (post-dated cheques are acceptable).
• Deposit payment in the after hours drop box at the Village Office on or before the deadline.
• Credit Card - a 2.5 % processing fee will be applied by the third party provider. This fee is not received by the Village.
• Financial Institutions do not apply for Home Owner Grants with property tax payments.  Taxpayers must apply for their own Home Owner Grant to avoid getting  caught with paying a penalty.
• The option to pay by credit card is NOT availablle at the Village Office.
• INTERAC payments are not accepted.

Q: How does my assessment affect my property taxes?

A: Your assessment is based on the valuation of your property as of July 1 of the previous year.  Your assessed value is divided by 1,000 and then multiplied by the tax rate for your assessment class to arrive at the municipal portion of your tax bill.

Q: Why was my tax increase more or less than the average?

A: Your tax increase is affected by your property’s increase in its assessed value and Council’s decision on the tax rate allocation between property classes.  If your property value has increased by more than the average increase in your class, or if you have added improvements to your residence, your taxes will increase by a factor greater than the average amount.

Q: What taxes do I pay for the Village of Lions Bay?

A: General property tax, fire protection levy and parcel taxes for water and sewer.

Q: What taxes do I pay for other tax authorities?

A: School and police taxes, Metro Vancouver levy, TransLink levy, BC Assessment Authority levy and Municipal Finance Authority levy.

Q: Why do you collect taxes on behalf of other tax authorities?

A: The Province requires the Village to collect taxes on behalf of other tax authorities and remit them directly.

Q: How do you know how much to collect for other tax authorities?

A: Each authority submits a bylaw requisition to the Village for the amount required to be collected.

Q: Can I make a partial payment of my taxes?

A: Yes. If you are unable to make full payment of your taxes, we encourage partial payments prior to the due date. The 5% tax penalty is levied on any unpaid balance after the due date, with a further 5% being applied on September 2nd.  Therefore, any payment on your account will reduce the penalty amount that you are charged. You should also claim home owner grants before the property tax due date.

Q: Due to circumstances out of my control I was unable to pay my taxes by the due date, can the Village waive the penalty?

A: Although the Village understands the many difficulties that may make it impossible to pay your property tax bill by the due date, provincial legislation (Community Charter and Municipal Tax Regulation) requires Lions Bay to charge the penalty on all outstanding balances starting on the due date. Since the charging of this penalty is law, we cannot waive the penalty.

Provincial wide 2025 Annual Tax Sale will be held on Monday, September 29, 2025.

The following information is intended to provide a general outline of the Tax Sale process. For complete information, prospective purchasers should consult the Local Government Act, in particular (but not limited to) Sections 645 to 672.

• The Municipality is required by the Local Government Act to conduct the Annual Tax Sale by offering for sale by public auction each parcel of real property on which taxes have not been paid for two years prior to the current year.
• The Local Government Act gives the Collector authority to sell a property for the Upset Price which equals all outstanding taxes + penalties + interest + 5% Tax Sale cost based on the value of outstanding current, arrears and delinquent taxes + Land Title Office fees.
• Interest will be applied to the outstanding redemption amount, based on the purchase value of the property at Tax Sale. For current interest rate, please contact the Tax Office.
• All property sales are “as is” without warrantee or guarantee by Village of Lions Bay Municipality.

Advertising

• The Local Government Act, Section 647, requires municipalities to advertise in a local paper not less than three, or more than ten days prior to the Tax Sale.
• The Tax Sale Ad is published mid to end of September each year in the Undercurrent and on the VILLAGE OF LIONS BAY website.
• The legal description and street address (if available) will be published.
• To avoid a property being listed in this ad in the newspaper, delinquent taxes must be paid approximately three weeks prior to the Tax Sale date.

Public Auction

• A public auction will be held at 10 am, on the last Monday in September each year in Municipal Council Chambers
• Bidding is accepted on all properties.
• Prospective bidders are advised that it is their responsibility to search the title of the property in advance to determine if there are any charges registered against the property.
• The minimum bid is the amount of the Upset Price.
• If no bidding takes place within three calls by the Collector (auctioneer), the Municipality is declared the purchaser at the Upset Price.
• Rules of Auction will be available at Tax Sale each year.

Purchasing Property

• The successful bidder is required to have their photo ID and Social Insurance Number, or Business Number and corporate seal if required.
• Acceptable forms of payment are: Cash, Certified Cheque and Bank Draft and the upset price must be paid immediately.
• NOTE: Personal cheques, debit and credit cards will not be accepted as a form of payment.
• If full payment of the upset price is not received immediately, the Collector will offer the property for auction again.
• Notifying registered owners and charge holders
• Not later than 3 months after the sale of the property at an annual tax sale, the Collector must give written notice of the sale and of the day the redemption period ends, to all persons registered in the land title office as an owner of the fee simple of the property or an owner of a charge on the property.

Redemption

• The original owner has one year after the property is sold at Tax Sale to pay the taxes and buy back their property. This is called redemption.
• All registered charge holders have full right to redeem the property.
• To redeem the property, the charge holder must remit the full upset price, plus interest on the purchase price at a rate set by the Province, within one year of the Tax Sale.
• As soon as the property is redeemed, the Collector will refund to the Tax Sale purchaser the purchase price, plus interest to the date of redemption.
• Property not redeemed
• If the property is not redeemed during the one year period, the Collector registers the new owner at the Land Titles Office.
• Property Taxes will be charged during the one year period, and if not redeemed, the purchaser will be required to pay them.
• The new owners are required to pay the property transfer tax if applicable to the Provincial Sales Tax Administrator after application has been made to register in the Land Titles Office.

Contact us

Phone:  604-921-9333 ext. 1001, or 1004

Email:  finance@lionsbay.ca, or accounting@lionsbay.ca