Several Greater Toronto Area (GTA) municipalities and other Ontario cities have moved deadlines and/or waived interest and penalties for late property tax payments. In Ontario’s largest cities, all ratepayers in Toronto and Mississauga qualify for the measures, while Ottawa’s program is restricted to small businesses with a current value assessment (CVA) no greater than $2.5 million.
As of March 16, late penalties for Toronto property tax, water and solid waste utility bills have been suspended until mid-May. For property owners who make tax payments on the city’s regular three-installment schedule, the April 1 due date has been pushed to June 1. Taxpayers registered for the 11-installment pre-authorized payment plan will see the interim 2020 due dates pushed back 60 days.
Mississauga has added 90 days to the deadline for its two pending payment dates, pushing the April 2 installment date to July 2 and the May 7 due date to August 6. In other GTA cities, Oshawa is offering commercial, industrial and multi-residential ratepayers a grace period until June 30, waiving late fees and interest on payments coming due on April 27; Richmond Hill has waived penalties and interest on late property tax payments until further notice; and for now, Newmarket has suspended interest and late fees on all payments and has promised further details on potential tax deferral programs.
Ratepayers qualifying for Ottawa’s program will have until June 18 for interim tax payments and October 30 for final tax payments — an extension from the original March 19 and June 18 deadlines. In addition to meeting the CVA criteria, ratepayers must currently have paid up-to-date tax accounts to take advantage of the program.
Hamilton has thus far waived late penalties on property tax payments due April 30 for a 30 further days, but city staff is now reviewing other potential measures and will report to city council in early April. Other Ontario cities offering some form of property tax payment concessions include London, Kitchener, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
