When will Property Assessment Notices be mailed out?
When will my 2008 assessment affect my property taxes?
Is it true that increases in assessed value will be phased-in?
If the market value of my property has decreased between 2005 and 2008, do I have to wait four years for my assessment to reflect this?
When did the last assessment update take place?
Will my property taxes increase if the value of my house goes up?
How can I tell if the assessed value of my property is accurate?
What happens if you don’t get my assessed value right?
Property values have dropped in my neighbourhood since January 1, 2008 and my house is worth less now than the assessed value. What should I do?
When will the next assessment update take place?

2008 Assessment Update

When will Property Assessment Notices be mailed out?

The 2008 Property Assessment Notices were mailed to owners of every property in Ontario over a ten-week period beginning mid-September 2008.

When will my 2008 assessment affect my property taxes?

Your 2008 assessment will be used by municipalities and the Provincial Government for municipal and education taxes in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

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Is it true that increases in assessed value will be phased-in?

Yes. In its 2007 Budget, the Ontario Government decided that any market increases will be phased-in over four years. The market increase and phase-in amounts will be listed on your Property Assessment Notice.

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If the market value of my property has decreased between 2005 and 2008, do I have to wait four years for my assessment to reflect this?

No. Any market decrease in the value of your property was applied immediately and reflected on your 2008 Property Assessment Notice.

When did the last assessment update take place?

The last province-wide assessment update took place in 2005.

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Will my property taxes increase if the value of my house goes up?

An assessment increase does not necessarily mean that your property taxes will increase. 

Your 2008 Property Assessment Notice includes the average percentage change of residential properties in your municipality/local taxing authority. If the value of your property has increased more than the average, you may pay an increased share of the revenue your municipality and the Province require for local services and education.  If the value has not increased by the average, you may pay a decreased share. 

Call your municipality/local taxing authority for more information about property taxes.

In addition, any market increases in assessed value between the last assessment update in 2005 and 2008 are phased-in over four years. The phase-in was introduced by the Provincial Government to provide an additional level of property tax stability and predictability for Ontario property taxpayers.

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How can I tell if the assessed value of my property is accurate?

There are a number of ways to determine this.

First, ask yourself if you could have reasonably expected to sell your property for its assessed value on January 1, 2008, the date on which the assessed value is based.

Second, check to see that the information we have about your property is accurate.

You can find detailed information about your property online at AboutMyProperty™ or by writing to us with your request. You can obtain detailed information on up to 24 properties of your choice and up to six selected by MPAC, free of charge.

Third, check to see what similar properties in your neighbourhood sold for in and around January 1, 2008.

About 85 per cent of your assessed value is based on five key factors – location, lot size, the living area, age of the property adjusted for any major renovations or additions and the quality of construction.  Click here for more information on how MPAC assesses properties.

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What happens if you don’t get my assessed value right?

While we strive for accuracy, when you assess nearly 4.7 million properties, errors can occur.

If you feel your assessed value or property classification is not correct, we will review it free of charge.  You may request a review any time before March 31 of the tax year.

We will review your information and if an error has been made, we will correct it.

You may also choose to file an appeal with the Assessment Review Board (ARB), an independent tribunal of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.  Click here for more information about the appeal process.

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Property values have dropped in my neighbourhood since January 1, 2008 and my house is worth less now than the assessed value. What should I do?

The real estate market fluctuates and, as a result, the current value of properties will change between assessment updates. The Assessment Act requires that all property be assessed at its value on January 1, 2008.  MPAC does not have any authority to change this date.

Since all properties are assessed at the same point in time, the revenue required by municipalities and the province are equitably distributed.  If your property was updated to reflect a different point in time, then all properties in your municipality would also be updated to that point in time and if all properties were reduced proportionately, the share of the tax burden allocated to each property would not change.

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When will the next assessment update take place?

In the 2007 Ontario Budget, the Provincial Government introduced a four-year assessment cycle. The next assessment update will take place in 2012.

The following chart outlines the update cycle since 2003:

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