Residential property in Peterborough is taxed at a combined rate of 1.8892540% of assessed value for 2026, made up of a 1.7362540% municipal rate and a 0.153% provincial education rate.1City of Peterborough. Taxes2Ontario.ca. Ontario Regulation 400/98 – Tax Matters – Rates for School Purposes On a home assessed at $350,000, that comes to roughly $6,612 for the year. The bill is split into four installments due March 31, May 29, July 31, and September 30, 2026.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Two numbers set your total: the current value assessment MPAC assigns to your property, and the rates city council and the province approve each year. Multiply the assessment by the combined rate and you have the annual tax.
MPAC normally updates assessments on a four-year cycle, but Ontario postponed the reassessment scheduled for 2020 and has kept extending that freeze. Assessments for the 2026 tax year are still based on what your property was worth on January 1, 2016.3Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. The Assessment Cycle If your neighbourhood has changed since then, your assessed value may not track current market value.
2026 Due Dates
The city issues two bills a year, each with two installments:
- Interim installments: March 31, 2026 and May 29, 2026
- Final installments: July 31, 2026 and September 30, 2026
Interim bills go out in February and are capped at 50% of the previous year’s total levy, since the current year’s rates haven’t been approved yet.1City of Peterborough. Taxes The final bill applies the approved 2026 rates and credits what you’ve already paid.4City of Peterborough. Paying Your Taxes
How to Pay
Whatever method you use, reference your 15-digit roll number (formatted XXX-XXX-XXXXX-0000) as the account number so the payment posts correctly.4City of Peterborough. Paying Your Taxes The roll number sits near the top of your tax bill.
- Online or telephone banking: add City of Peterborough as a payee and use the 15-digit roll number.
- In person: Service Peterborough at 500 George St. N. accepts cash, cheque, and debit from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Drop box: a secured drop box outside City Hall accepts cheques any time.
- Credit card: pay through third-party services like PaySimply or Plastiq, which charge a service fee. Credit cards aren’t accepted at the tax office counter.
Pre-Authorized Payment Plans
The city runs two free automatic withdrawal options.4City of Peterborough. Paying Your Taxes The monthly plan debits your account on the last business day of each month, spreading your annual taxes across the months remaining when you enroll. The installment plan pulls the full installment on each of the four regular due dates.
Applications or changes have to be in by the 21st of the month you want them to take effect. For a June change, confirm the deadline with the Tax Office.
Late Payments
Missing a due date is expensive. Under Section 345 of the Municipal Act, 2001, the city can charge a penalty of up to 1.25% of the unpaid amount on the first day of default, plus interest of up to 1.25% on the first day of each following month until you pay.5Government of Ontario. Municipal Act, 2001 – Section 345 Those charges are added to your tax balance. There’s no grace period.
On a missed $3,000 installment, that’s about $37.50 the first day, and roughly the same again each month the balance sits. Over a year the charges can approach 16% of what you owed.
If Arrears Continue: Tax Sale
Under Section 373 of the Municipal Act, if any taxes remain unpaid on January 1 of the second year after they became due, the treasurer can register a tax arrears certificate against the property’s title.6Government of Ontario. Municipal Act, 2001 – Section 373 Once registered, you have one year to pay the full cancellation price (arrears, penalties, interest, and administrative costs) or the property goes to public sale. In practice a homeowner would be about three years behind before losing the property, but the penalty and interest charges are heavy long before that.
If You Think Your Assessment Is Wrong
Because your bill is the assessment times the rate, a wrong assessment means the wrong bill. Ontario runs a two-step dispute process.
Request for Reconsideration
Start at aboutmyproperty.ca, where MPAC shows how it calculated your value and how your property compares to similar ones nearby. Register with the roll number and access key from your Property Assessment Notice.7About My Property. About My Property
If something is off, file a Request for Reconsideration through the portal. It’s free, and the deadline is March 31 of the taxation year. For residential, farm, and managed forest properties this step is mandatory before you can go to a formal appeal.8Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. How to File an Appeal
Assessment Review Board Appeal
If the RfR result doesn’t satisfy you, you have 90 days from MPAC’s decision to appeal to the Assessment Review Board, an independent provincial tribunal.8Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. How to File an Appeal The residential filing fee is $132.50 per roll number.9Tribunals Ontario. Fee Chart After you file, the ARB schedules a mandatory meeting between you, MPAC, and the city; many disputes settle there.
Relief Programs
Low-Income Property Tax Credit
The city offers a $414 tax credit to owners on low or fixed incomes. To qualify for 2026, you must have owned and occupied the property from January 1 to December 31 of the previous year, and fit one of these categories:10City of Peterborough. Tax Assistance and Rebates
- Seniors 65 or older receiving the Guaranteed Income Supplement or the Guaranteed Annual Income System benefit.
- Seniors aged 55 to 64 with combined household taxable income under $30,000.
- Persons receiving Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits.
The application deadline for 2026 is February 6, 2026, which lands before the first interim bill arrives, so it’s easy to miss. Submit the form in person at the Tax Office at 500 George St. N., or by mail or email.10City of Peterborough. Tax Assistance and Rebates
Charity Rebate
Registered charities in premises taxed at commercial or industrial rates can apply for a rebate of 75% of the property tax paid, capped at $50,000.10City of Peterborough. Tax Assistance and Rebates The charity doesn’t need to own the space; leased premises qualify as long as they carry a commercial or industrial classification.