Home Owner Grant Program
The Home Owner Grant is a provincial program, administered by the Home Owner Grant Administration Branch, the Surveyor of Taxes and Municipal Tax Collectors. The purpose of the home owner grant is the Province of BC pays a portion of your property taxes to help reduce the amount of residential property tax you pay. To claim the basic, senior or additional grant, property owners must meet the eligibility requirements and complete an application form located on the bottom of the July Main Tax Notice each year. The completed grant must be submitted to the City or your financial institution by the tax due date to avoid late penalties. Therefore, your July property tax remittance is made up of both your payment and any applicable home owner grant. There is no grant to claim on the February Advance Tax Notice.
Visit the Provincial Home Owner Grant website for more information.
Note: When a property is owned by more than one owner, only one (1) of the eligible owners are required to sign the grant application.
When the Grant is Reduced or Eliminated
For 2012, the grant is reduced at a rate of $5.00 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,285,000.
The basic grant is eliminated when the assessed value reaches $1,399,000.
The additional/senior's grant is eliminated when the assessed value reaches $1,454,000.
Property owners can submit their homeowner grant claim online at the City of Vancouver's website. With your folio number and access code from your tax notice, you will be able to submit your grant claim and get a receipt of confirmation instantly. This service is available from mid-May to December 31st each year. Click here to claim your grant electronically.
Low-Income Grant Supplement
The January 12, 2007 Provincial Budget included additional measures to assist low-income seniors and others with the Low-Income Grant Supplement. This program is administered at the Provincial level, not by the City of Vancouver. Please visit the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue site to obtain a brochure (
PDF, 195KB).
Home Owner Grant Penalty
Home Owner Grant applications that are incomplete, unclaimed or late will result in a 5% penalty charge. Home Owner Grants that are not claimed are considered equivalent to unpaid taxes.
Failure of an intermediary such as a financial institution, Canada Post or lawyer to remit the application on behalf of the owner is a private matter for resolution between the parties involved and is outside the tax collector's authority and responsibility.
