2016 Assessment Notice Mailing and Customer Review Period
By Diane Colley-Urquhart on January 12 2016
On Tuesday, January 5, 2016, The City of Calgary mailed out over half a million property and business assessment notices. January 5 also marked the start of the 2016 Customer Review Period.
Property and business owners are advised to carefully review their assessment and if they have any questions, to please contact Assessment during the Customer Review Period (which runs from January 5 to March 7, 2016). Changes to a 2016 assessment can only be made if an inquiry is received during the 2016 Customer Review Period.
As required by provincial legislation, the 2016 property assessments reflect the market value of property on July 1, 2015 and the physical condition on December 31, 2015. The 2016 business assessments reflect the typical net annual rental value of business premises on July 1, 2015. Assessed values are prepared annually and provide the basis for calculating property and business taxes.
In 2012, Council moved to consolidate Calgary’s business tax revenues with the non-residential property tax over a seven-year implementation time frame. In 2014 and 2015, 10% of business tax revenues were transferred to and collected through the non-residential property tax each year.
This year, an additional 20% of business tax revenues will be transferred to and collected through the non-residential property tax. This will result in a cumulative 40% decline in the business tax rate from 2013 levels. This year’s revenue transfer will also result in an estimated additional 4.6% increase to the non-residential property tax rate, for a total non-residential property tax increase of an estimated 9.2% due to consolidation.
Business tax consolidation will not impact assessment values nor will it be reflected on the assessment notices for non-residential property and business owners.
Why is the Customer Review Period (CRP) important?
The 2016 Customer Review Period provides property and business owners the opportunity to review and ensure the accuracy of their assessment and learn more about how their value was prepared. Property and business owners are encouraged to:
Review their assessment for accuracy and compare for equity using resources available on Assessment Search at www.Calgary.ca/Assessment .
The City of Calgary will, if needed, amend property and business assessments if an inquiry is received during the 2016 Customer Review Period. Any changes brought forward after the Customer Review Period will be considered for 2017 assessment values.
What is revenue neutral?
The intent of The City of Calgary’s revenue neutral policy is to ensure that:
- Tax revenues do not increase automatically with assessment changes due to fluctuations in the real estate market.
- Tax increases reflect The City’s need for additional funds.
What is business tax consolidation?
In 2012, Council moved to consolidate Calgary’s business tax revenues with the non-residential property tax over a seven-year implementation period. In 2014 and 2015, 10% of business tax revenues were transferred to and collected through the non-residential property tax each year.
In 2016, an additional 20% of business tax revenues will be transferred to and collected through the non-residential property tax. This will result in a cumulative 40% decline in the business tax rate from 2013 levels (2013 business tax revenue amount has been adjusted for business growth and contingencies). This year’s revenue transfer will also result in an estimated additional 4.6% increase to the non-residential property tax rate, for a total non-residential property tax increase of an estimated 9.2% due to consolidation.
The incremental revenue transfers will occur annually until 2019, culminating with the elimination of the business tax.
Business tax consolidation is a revenue neutral process meaning it will not increase the amount of revenues collected by the City of Calgary.
What if I still disagree with my assessment after reviewing and discussing it with an assessor?
If your concern cannot be resolved after discussing it with an assessor, you may wish to file an assessment complaint with the Assessment Review Board (ARB). The filing deadline is March 7, 2016. For more information or to obtain a complaint form, customers can visit the ARB’s website at calgaryarb.ca or call 403-268-5858.
If you have any further questions or concerns about your assessment, public inquiries may be directed to:
Assessment Customer Inquiry Representatives
Phone: 403-268-2888 (Monday – Friday 8 AM – 4:30 PM)
3-1-1 (Monday – Friday after 4:30 PM and all day on weekends)
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