Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) assessing residential properties in Ontario.
Do you know what the relationship is between your property assessment and property taxes?
Watch this video to learn more – including how MPAC assesses residential properties in Ontario.
AboutMyProperty from MPAC
This short video from MPAC on the easy self-serve application AboutMyProperty.
Understanding Phase-In
Under the Government of Ontario’s phase-in provision in the Assessment Act, an increase in assessed value is introduced gradually over four years. A decrease in assessed value will be introduced immediately.
The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for determining the current assessed value of all properties in Ontario. MPAC is a not-for-profit, independent corporation created in 1997. Its main responsibility is to provide property owners, tenants, municipalities and government and business stakeholders with consistent and accurate property assessments.
Ontario has a legislated four-year assessment cycle. All properties in Ontario were re-assessed in 2016 to bring their current value assessment up to 2016 market values. The last property assessment update was conducted in 2012. Guelph’s 2016 property assessment notices were mailed. If your property has had any subsequent changes in value or ownership another notice will be mailed to you reflecting the change.
Current value assessment is the most probable sale price for your property. Comparing your assessment to similar sold properties in your neighbourhood is the best way to determine the most probable sale price for your property. MPAC can provide you with information on comparable properties in your neighbourhood. Visit MPAC.ca for more information.
When assessing residential property, MPAC analyzes property sales in each area. All key features that affect market value are considered. Five major factors usually account for 85 per cent of a property’s value including:
Location
Lot size and dimensions
Living area
Age of the structure(s)
Quality of construction
Other features may also affect the value of residential properties, including the number of bathrooms, fireplaces, finished basements, garages and pools. Site features may also increase or decrease the assessed value of property such as traffic patterns, being situated on a corner lot and proximity to a golf course, hydro corridor, railway or green space.
The current value assessment reflects the value of the property as of January 1, 2016. This property assessment will be used by the city to calculate property taxation for the tax years 2017 to 2020.
The 2016 property assessment will be used to calculate property taxes for 2017 through 2020. If the property value has increased since 2012, the increase will be phased in over these next four years. This phased-in assessment system will provide an additional level of property tax stability and predictability.
Example
Assessed value of your property
Property Value on January 1, 2012 – $260,000
Property Value on January 1, 2016 – $300,000
Over this 4-year period, your property’s value changed by $40,000
Phased-in property assessment over the next 4 years
2017 – $270,000
2018 – $280,000
2019 – $290,000
2020 – $300,000
Note: If the property has decreased in value the 2012 property assessment will be applied immediately.
Please contact MPAC with any questions you may have about your assessment. MPAC may be reached at 1-866-296-6722 or online at MPAC.ca.
Comparing your assessment to similar properties in your area may also be helpful in determining the accuracy of your assessment. Information on comparative properties is available from MPAC.
MPAC provides an online service called aboutmyproperty that can be used to view information on your and other comparative properties. There is no charge for this service.
To appeal your property assessment on a residential, farm or managed forest property, a request for reconsideration must be filed with MPAC. Forms may be obtained by visiting MPAC.ca or by sending a written request to MPAC at P.O. Box 9808, Toronto, ON, M1S 5T9. There is no fee for filing a request for reconsideration.The deadline to file an appeal for the taxation year is March 31.
MPAC will render its decision by September 30 (or November 30 if both parties agree to the extension). If residential, farm or managed forest property owners are not satisfied with MPAC’s decision on their request for reconsideration, they may file an appeal to the assessment review board (ARB). This must be done within 90 days of receiving MPAC’s decision.
Commercial, industrial and multi-residential property owners may choose to file a request for reconsideration with MPAC or can proceed directly to filing an appeal with the assessment review board. Regardless of the option chosen, the appeal must be filed with either body by March 31.
To file an appeal with the ARB, send a written request to the Assessment Review Board, 655 Bay Street, Suite 1500, Toronto ON M5G 1E5. The appropriate fee must accompany your appeal. For further information, please contact the ARB toll free at 1-800-263-3237 or online at arb.gov.on.ca.
Yes. A tax account is only adjusted when the city receives notification of a change in assessment from MPAC or the ARB. It is strongly recommended that the taxes on a property continue to be paid to avoid any penalty and interest charges. There may be a significant delay in the time an appeal is filed and a decision is rendered.
The average percentage increase for residential property in the city of Guelph is 15.55%. This increase will be phased in annually for 2017 to 2020.
Property assessments in Ontario are currently re-assessed on a four-year cycle. The next re-assessment is scheduled to be completed in 2020. MPAC may re-assess property during the four-year cycle if there are changes to the property that alter its value (e.g. additions or renovations.)
Contact MPAC to review the information they have on file for your property. Information on comparator properties of your choice is also available. Please visit MPAC.ca or call 1-866-296-6722 for more information. MPAC offers a service called aboutmyproperty which is a secure, online self-service application that provides owners with access to property information. To access this service, please visit MPAC’s website.
Not necessarily. For example, if all residential properties in the city increased by 16 per cent since 2012, and the assessed value of your home increased by 20 per cent, then you may pay four per cent more than the average property tax increase that residential property owners are paying. With the phase-in program, the assessment-related property tax increase would be phased-in over four years. Assessment decreases are implemented immediately.
Municipalities use property assessments as the basis for calculating property taxes. Each year, the City sets a tax rate based on the revenue needed to pay for municipal services like:
Police and fire protection
Road maintenance, repairs and snow removal
Waste collection
Parks, pools, libraries and community centres
Public transit
The municipal tax rate is applied to individual property values to calculate property taxes. Property taxes are the primary source of revenue used to pay for municipal public services.
Other factors also determine the property tax rate including tax policy decisions, budget increases and education levy changes as determined by the Provincial government.
