Property taxes make up the largest portion of the City’s revenue and are used to fund essential services such as fire and police, road maintenance, parks and recreation, and cultural facilities. In 2025, property taxes were due by 4:30 p.m. on July 2, covering the period from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
Property tax notices are mailed to owners. If you don't receive your tax notice, contact City Hall. It’s the property owner’s responsibility to make sure they receive their notice.
Paying your property taxes
You can pay your property taxes online, by cheque or in person. We don't accept e-transfers.
To pay your property tax bill by credit card, visit our online payment portal. You'll need the nine-digit folio/roll number from the top of your bill.
We accept Visa and Mastercard.
A processing fee applies to all credit card payments.
You can pay your property tax through your bank’s online banking service.
Log in to your online banking account.
Set up a new bill payment and add the City of Courtenay as a payee.
Use the nine-digit folio/roll number from your property tax notice as the account number. (Add zeros at the beginning if needed and leave out the period between the first and last three digits.)
Financial institution
City of Courtenay payee name
Bank of Montreal
Courtenay, Taxes
CIBC
COURTENAY CITY TAX
Coastal Community Credit Union
Courtenay, City of - Property Tax
RBC
COURTENAY (CITY) - TAXES
Scotiabank
COURTENAY (CITY) TAXES
Tangerine (ING)
COURTENAY TAXES
TD Canada Trust
COURTENAY TAXES
Keep the confirmation number from your bank as proof of payment. The City of Courtenay does not issue receipts for online payments.
Make sure the transaction is completed three to five days before the due date.
Payments are posted to accounts on the date they're received — not the date it was sent by your financial institution.
Property tax bills are payable at most banks or credit unions. Use the nine-digit folio/roll number from your property tax notice.
Check with your financial institution to confirm in-person payment options.
Keep the stamped copy of your bill for proof of payment.
You can either mail your cheque or use our secure drop-off at City Hall.
By mail
City of Courtenay 830 Cliffe Avenue Courtenay BC V9N 2J7
By secure drop-off
A drop box is available to the right of the main entrance of City Hall (830 Cliffe Avenue), accessible 24 hours a day.
Important information for both methods
Make cheques payable to City of Courtenay.
Post-dated cheques are accepted.
Payments are posted to accounts on the date they are received, not the postmark date. Payments received after 4:30 p.m. on the due date are considered late.
Do not mail cash.
You can pay in person at City Hall (830 Cliffe Avenue), Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (except for statutory holidays).
Payment methods available at City Hall:
cash
cheque
debit (check your daily withdrawal limit)
Late payments and penalties
Pay your property taxes on time to avoid penalties. Payments must be made before 4:30 p.m. on the due date. Banks may have earlier cut-off times, so we recommend making online payments in advance.
A 10 per cent penalty applies to unpaid taxes after 4:30 p.m. on the due date, including unclaimed home owner grants.
Penalties are set by law and can't be changed, except in extraordinary circumstances such as a natural disaster.
If taxes remain unpaid:
January 1: Unpaid taxes from the previous year become arrears (overdue) and start collecting interest.
September 1: Properties with three years of unpaid taxes will be subject to a tax sale.
Property taxes FAQs
Courtenay’s property taxes are within the range of other similar local governments.
However, some external costs and services are set by other levels of government and may be higher for Courtenay due to its population size. For example, Courtenay pays 90 per cent of the cost for RCMP policing under its contract, while smaller communities may pay 70 per cent or less for the same service.
Yes. The Province of B.C.'s Property Tax Deferment Program offers low-interest loans to help eligible homeowners pay annual property taxes on their principal residence. The program is available to:
About half of the City’s operating revenue comes from property taxes. Other sources include fees and charges, government grants and transfers from reserves and surplus funds.
A higher property assessment doesn't always mean a large tax increase. What matters is how your assessment compares to the average change in Courtenay.
In 2025, the average value of a single-family home in Courtenay increased by 1 per cent. If your property increased more than average, you may see a tax increase. If your increase was lower, your taxes could go down, depending on the tax rate.
Property taxes are due by 4:30 p.m. on the first business day after July 1. The due date appears on your tax notice and is shared through the City's website, social media and local newspapers.
Tax notices include a reminder to claim your Home Owner Grant online and to make payments before the deadline to avoid penalties.
Most banks stop processing payments after 3 p.m., and processing times can vary. Payments made after your bank’s local cut-off on the due date may be recorded the next business day — making them late. Please allow up to five days for bank processing to avoid late payment penalties.
A 10 per cent penalty is applied to any unpaid current-year taxes after 4:30 p.m. on the due date. This includes amounts owing because the Home Owner Grant was not claimed. The penalty rate is set by the Municipal Tax Regulation.
The home owner grant reduces your property taxes. If you don’t claim it, the grant amount is considered unpaid taxes and is subject to a penalty.
Yes. Property owners are responsible for paying taxes on time—even if a tax notice was not received.
No. Penalties are required by Provincial legislation and are not discretionary.
Under Section 426 of the Community Charter – Municipal Tax Regulation, if any part of the property taxes for a property remains unpaid after July 2 of the year they are levied:
"The collector must add to the unpaid property taxes a penalty equal to 10 per cent of the unpaid amount."
Late payments can force the City to borrow money or lose interest income, which affects all taxpayers. Penalties help recover these costs from only those who paid late.
Council cannot cancel penalties unless under extraordinary circumstances, such as a natural disaster.
Council may request a Minister’s order to write off penalties, but only if:
Avoiding the penalty was impossible.
The relief can be applied fairly to all in the same situation.
Common situations like illness, travel, user error or mail delays do not qualify. In those cases, other payment options were available.
