Property taxes on a Courtenay home are due by 4:30 p.m. on July 2 each year, and the bill on your notice covers the calendar year from January 1 through December 31.1City of Courtenay. Property Taxes The total combines the City of Courtenay’s own levy with charges from School District 71, the Comox Valley Regional District, the Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District, the Vancouver Island Regional Library, BC Assessment Authority, and the Municipal Finance Authority of BC, so expect a figure larger than the city portion alone.2City of Courtenay. Where Your Taxes Go Two provincial programs can reduce or postpone what you owe, and there is a separate process for challenging the assessed value your bill is based on.
How To Pay Before July 2
The city posts payments on the date they are received, not the date you send them. Build in a cushion of at least three to five business days before the deadline.
Online Banking
Add the City of Courtenay as a payee through your bank or credit union’s bill-payment service. Payee names vary: “Courtenay, Taxes” at BMO, “COURTENAY CITY TAX” at CIBC, “COURTENAY (CITY) – TAXES” at RBC, “COURTENAY (CITY) TAXES” at Scotiabank, and “COURTENAY TAXES” at TD Canada Trust and Tangerine. Your account number is the nine-digit folio (or roll) number printed at the top of your tax notice.3City of Courtenay. Bill Payments
Credit Card
Visa and Mastercard are accepted through the city’s online payment portal. A processing fee applies to every credit card transaction, and payments can take up to five business days to reach your account.3City of Courtenay. Bill Payments
By Mail, Drop Box, or In Person
Cheques can be mailed to the City of Courtenay at 830 Cliffe Avenue, Courtenay, BC V9N 2J7. A secure 24-hour drop box sits to the right of the main entrance at City Hall. The administrative office also accepts in-person payments during regular business hours.1City of Courtenay. Property Taxes
What Happens if You Miss the Deadline
Miss 4:30 p.m. on July 2 and the city adds a flat 10% penalty to whatever portion of the bill is still unpaid. That includes any Home Owner Grant you were eligible for but did not claim in time.4B.C. Laws. Municipal Tax Regulation There is no grace period, and the penalty is applied in one step rather than in stages.
Any balance still owing after the current tax year rolls into arrears and starts accumulating interest. For 2026, the arrears rate is 7.45%, set at three percentage points above the prime lending rate of the provincial government’s principal banker.5Province of British Columbia. Arrears or Delinquent Taxes Due to Local Governments Interest keeps compounding until the balance is cleared, and taxes left in arrears for several years can eventually put the property at risk of a tax sale.
The Home Owner Grant
If a Courtenay home is your principal residence, the provincial Home Owner Grant reduces the tax you owe. The regular grant in the Comox Valley is $770 per year. A larger “additional” grant is available if you are a senior, a veteran, a person with a disability, or living with a spouse or relative who has a disability.6Province of British Columbia. Home Owner Grant
The full grant applies when the assessed value is $2,075,000 or less for 2026. Above that threshold the grant shrinks by $5 for every $1,000 of assessed value, so a home assessed at $2,175,000 loses $500 from the grant. At high enough valuations the grant disappears entirely.6Province of British Columbia. Home Owner Grant
Apply directly to the Province of British Columbia, not to the city. The online portal is fastest; phone and Service BC counters are also options. You will need the jurisdiction and roll numbers from your tax notice along with your social insurance number.7Province of British Columbia. Apply for the Home Owner Grant Claim it before July 2. An unclaimed grant is treated as an unpaid balance and attracts the same 10% penalty.
Deferring Your Taxes
The Property Tax Deferment Program lets eligible homeowners postpone paying altogether. It is a loan: the province pays your taxes on your behalf, and you repay the accumulated balance plus interest when the property is sold or transferred.8Government of British Columbia. Property Tax Deferment Program
The regular stream is open to homeowners aged 55 or older, surviving spouses, and persons with disabilities. The families with children stream covers parents or guardians supporting dependent children. Rates adjust every six months. For April through September 2026 the regular program charges 2.45% and the families program charges 4.45%.9Province of British Columbia. Property Tax Deferment Interest Rate History Even at the lower rate, interest compounds over many years, so the eventual repayment can be significantly larger than the original taxes.
Disputing Your Assessed Value
Your tax is your assessed value multiplied by the combined rates set by each taxing authority. BC Assessment, a provincial Crown corporation, sets that value as of July 1 of the prior year and mails assessment notices in January.10BC Assessment. Valuation Date Versus Physical Condition Date If the number on your January notice looks wrong, act quickly.
Start by contacting BC Assessment for an informal review. Many disputes end here, particularly where the assessor had incorrect information about the property’s size, condition, or features.11BC Assessment. PARP Complaint (Appeal) Guide
If that does not resolve it, file a formal complaint with the Property Assessment Review Panel. The deadline is January 31, moving to the next business day when it falls on a weekend; for 2026 the deadline is February 2. All complaints go through BC Assessment, not directly to the review panel.12Province of British Columbia. Property Assessment Review Panel
Your complaint needs a specific reason the valuation is wrong. A percentage change from the prior year is not, on its own, a valid ground. Comparable sales in your neighbourhood showing your home was valued higher than similar properties, or evidence that the assessor used incorrect property details, tend to carry the most weight. Include the roll number from your assessment notice, the property address, and your contact information. If the panel agrees, the corrected value flows through to the tax bill you receive later that year.