Property Taxes

The City of Coquitlam provides residents with many important services:

• Drainage
• Emergency services, including police and firefighters
• Parks and recreation facilities, including pools and ice rinks
• Roads and traffic control
• Sewer
• Water

Property taxes are the City’s main source of money to pay for all of these valuable services. City Council determines the budget it needs to provide the services and a Municipal Property Tax Rate is set to collect the necessary taxes.

Charges from Province of British Columbia

On your Property Tax Bill there are charges from the Province of British Columbia for school taxes and for other regional bodies including:

• BC Assessment Authority
• Metro Vancouver
• Municipal Finance Authority
• TransLink

These taxing authorities determine the amounts payable and the City collects on their behalf.

Approximately 40% of a typical residential property tax bill is collected on behalf of other agencies that are outside the City’s budget control.

Calculate Tax Levy for Your Property

Rates are per $1,000. Multiply the taxable value (found on your property assessment notice) by the municipal tax rate for the applicable assessment class(es).

City Council determines the budget it needs to provide services to residents and businesses. Each year in May, a Municipal Property Tax Rate is set to collect the necessary taxes to pay for the many important services provided.

2021 Municipal Tax Rates – To Be Determined

• Class 1 - Residential - 2.1745
• Class 2 - Utilities - 37.0927
• Class 3 - Supportive Housing - 2.1745
• Class 4 - Major Industry - 28.0000
• Class 5 - Light Industry - 6.7393
• Class 6 - Business/Other -  7.8396
• Class 7 - Managed Forest Land - 6.5235
• Class 8 - Recreational/Non-Profit - 11.1023
• Class 9 - Farm - 15.7667

2021 Sewer Parcel Tax - $483.00

Section 224 of the Community Charter provides Council with the authority to grant Permissive Tax Exemptions for certain land and/or improvements from municipal property taxes. Council will consider requests for Permissive Tax Exemptions for certain categories of land or improvements, such as those owned and used by non-profit organizations, which provide public benefit to the residents of Coquitlam subject to the conditions of our Permissive Property Tax Exemption Policy.

For further information on the policy, please contact the Revenue Services Department at 604-927-3920.

Deferment applications are no longer submitted through your municipal office.

The Province has developed a new online application process. All applications will now be submitted directly to the Province. Information on the new program is available on British Columbia’s Property Tax Deferment page.

Each year, if required, the City of Coquitlam holds a municipal tax sale on the last Monday of September in Council Chamber at 3000 Guildford Way. A tax sale is a public auction of all properties that have not paid their taxes for three years. 

If your property has delinquent taxes owing, contact us immediately by email or call 604-927-3050. To avoid your property being published in the newspaper, your delinquent taxes must be paid by August 31 by cash, debit or certified cheque.

General Information:

• The Local Government Act requires the City to advertise the list of properties that may be available for sale in the local newspaper in the weeks preceding the tax sale. Owners have up until the start of the sale to be removed from the list. 
• The City makes no representation express or implied as to the condition or quality of the properties being offered for sale. Prospective purchasers are urged to research the properties and make all necessary inquiries to municipal and other government departments, and in the case of strata lots to the strata corporation, to determine the existence of any bylaws, restrictions, charges or other conditions which may affect the value or suitability of the properties.  
• The minimum bid is the amount of the upset price.
• If no bidding takes place within three calls by the Collector (auctioneer), the City is declared the purchaser at the upset price.
• 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: Certified Cheque and Bank Draft and the sum bid must be paid immediately.
• Owners have a redemption period of one year from the date of the auction to redeem the property from Tax Sale. In order to redeem the property, the owner must pay all three years of taxes, fees, penalties and interest.
• Purchasers of the properties at Tax Sale are subject to tax under the Property Purchase Tax Act. This tax will be calculated on the market value of the property at the time title is transferred to the purchaser. 
• The City of Coquitlam will appoint a person to bid at Tax Sale for the municipality.

For complete information, prospective purchasers should consult the Local Government Act (Division 7 of Part 16)