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Understanding your Tax Bill
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Tax Bill Schedules and Due Dates
The interim bill is mailed at the beginning of March and is due toward the end of the month. It represents half of the total taxes you paid the previous year.
The final bill represents the total taxes for the current year, minus the amount billed on the interim. It is issued at the beginning of July and is payable in two installments—one due near the end of July, and the other near the end of September.
Any unpaid balance after each of the due dates accrues 1.25% interest per month.
How your Property Tax Bill Is Calculated
The process involves several key components:
Penalties or Interest Charges for Late Payment
A service charge will be applied to your account for any payment that is not cleared by your financial institution.
To avoid late payment penalties, your mailed payment must arrive in our office on or before the due date. For electronic payments through financial institutions, allow 2-3 days for your bank to submit the payment to the Township.
Penalties or interest at 1.25% accrued monthly are added on the first day of each month following the due date.
Failure to receive the tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer from payment of taxes, nor from liability for fees, penalties, or interest charges for late payment.
Supplemental Tax Bills
This tax bill is in addition to any tax bills you have already received.Throughout the year, the Township issues supplementary and omitted tax bills to property owners when a property is newly built or when physical changes have been made. These bills are separate from the interim and final tax bills.
MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) is responsible for assessing any changes to properties throughout the year. Assessments are based on an effective date or occupancy date, which appears in the “Assessment” section of your bill under “Improvement to Property.” Legislation allows properties to be billed for the current year plus up to two prior years.
Changes assessed by MPAC may include:
- A new residential unit
- A change in tax classification (e.g., commercial to residential)
- Additions or renovations
F.A.Q.
Tax Certificate
Tax certificates are most often requested when a property is being sold, purchased, or refinanced.
A tax certificate is a document that shows the current tax information for a property. It includes the yearly taxes, instalment amounts, payments made, and any remaining balance. It also confirms details such as the property owner’s name, the property description, the address (if available), and any local improvement charges.
In some situations, additional documents or letters may be required to confirm that everything related to the property is in order:
- Work order letter: Confirms whether there are any open work orders with the Building and Public Works Departments.
- Fire compliance letter: Must be requested from the Fire Department to confirm compliance with fire requirements.
- Zoning confirmation letter: Must be requested from the Planning Department to confirm zoning details.
- Water and sewer meter reading: Required if the property is connected to municipal services. This allows the Township to close the seller’s account, open the buyer’s account, and issue the final water bill correctly.
To request a tax certificate or any related document, a formal request must be sent by email to the Finance Department. Certificates are typically processed within two weeks after the request and payment are received. Payment is required before any certificate will be issued, and all certificates are provided electronically.
MPAC
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded by all Ontario municipalities, accountable to the Province, municipalities, and property taxpayers. Their role is to accurately assess and classify all properties in Ontario in compliance with the Assessment Act and regulations set by the Government of Ontario.
Change of Address
If you wish to change your mailing address, please fill out this form. Take note that ownership changes are processed automatically when the documentation from the lawyer is received; however, this does not include P.O. Boxes, email and phone numbers. To ensure you receive your assessment information, please don’t forget to authorize us to update your information with MPAC.
School Support Change
To change your school support, please visit MPAC's website.
School Support Designation | MPAC
A copy of the application is available at the Town Hall if you wish to update your school support designation by filling out a paper application.
Severance
Please note that if the sale and purchase of a property is as a result of a Consent (severance) application approved by the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, i.e., a new lot creation or a lot enlargement, the division of taxes from the original tax roll to the new or newly adjusted tax roll, will only take place once changes have been made to the tax roll by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). It is understood that the seller and purchaser’s lawyers would allocate the levies accordingly during the sale process. The Township will not calculate the anticipated changes in municipal taxes in the interim.
Tax Sale of Properties
If property taxes remain unpaid, the Municipal Act allows the Township to proceed with the sale of the property. When taxes are in arrears for three years, the Township registers a Tax Arrears Certificate on the title of the property.
Once a Tax Arrears Certificate is registered, the property will be sold unless all outstanding taxes, penalties, interest, and reasonable costs are paid in full within one year of the registration date. Partial payments are not permitted during this one-year redemption period.
If the full cancellation price is not paid within that one year, the Township may proceed with advertising the property for sale due to non-payment of taxes. Advertisements are published in both English and French in local newspapers for four consecutive weeks, as well as for one week in the Ontario Gazette. The tax sale is conducted through a public tender process, where sealed bids are opened at the advertised time and place. The highest acceptable bidder is then permitted to complete the purchase by paying the outstanding balance and registering a tax deed, in accordance with the Municipal Act.
Proceeds from the sale are first applied to the amount owing to the Township. Any surplus funds are paid into court.
The Township is not required to determine the market value of the property before proceeding with a tax sale and is not obligated to obtain fair market value through the sale process.
Tax Rates
The tax rates are calculated using the total amount of funds required for the Township of Champlain to provide goods and services, and the total assessed value of all properties within the Township.
A separate tax rate is set for each property class by each of the three government agencies (Municipal, Regional and Provincial).
The tax rate is set after Township Council, and the United Counties of Prescott and Russell approve their budgets, and the Province of Ontario sets the education rate. The tax rate is applied to the property's current year assessment value to determine the amount of property taxes to be billed for the year.
The Township of Champlain collects property taxes for two levels of government and the province’s education levy:
- The Township’s needs and service levels–Lower Tier.
- The United Counties of Prescott Russell–Upper Tier.
- The province’s education levy
Garbage Rates
The garbage levies are based on the total cost of the landfill site, the household hazardous waste collection and regular waste collection; all taxpayers are levied a garbage rate on their property to fund the total cost of the service. Garbage levies are included in the tax bill.