Property taxes are not user fees, but are a way to fund and maintain core municipal services, programs and infrastructure for the greater good of the whole community.

Key dates

• Last business day of June - property taxes are due
• Mid-May - annual assessment and tax notices are mailed out
• The tax year is January 1 to December 31
• July 1 - market value determination date (2023 values are based on July 1, 2022 market values)

Change your mailing address

If you need to change the mailing address on your property tax account, send an email to mailingaddress@strathcona.ca with your:

• roll number or property address
• current mailing address
• new mailing address

School support

You can choose whether your education property tax dollars go to the public or separate (Catholic) school board. Visit Education Property Tax for further information.

Contact Taxation at 780-464-8120 to learn which board you're currently supporting or to get a form to change your school support choice.

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Property tax programs for seniors

Strathcona Seniors Property Tax Rebate (County funded)

A flat $100 rebate, available to low-income seniors' households.

Eligibility:

You must:

1. Be 65 years of age or older,
2. Meet the Alberta Seniors Benefit program annual income guidelines and
3. Live in your own home in Strathcona County.

To apply:

1. Call Family and Community Services at 780-464-4044 to book an appointment 
2. Complete an application form and
3. Provide income confirmation (bring your Notice of Assessment from Canada Revenue Agency).

Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program (Provincially funded)

The Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program will allow eligible senior homeowners to defer all or part of their property taxes through a low-interest home equity loan with the Government of Alberta. Contact 780-644-9992, or visit the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program webpage for information.

Understanding property taxes

Learn the meaning of these terms to help you understand how property taxes are calculated.

• Property assessment
• Property taxation
• Budget
• Tax rate
• Per property share of tax
• Property value change
• Tax distribution
• Local improvement
• Provincial education tax requisition

Property assessment

The process of placing a dollar value on property for taxation purposes. Provincial legislation requires that an annual market value assessment be prepared for all properties (the valuation date is July 1, of the year preceding the tax year) and that the condition of the property be recorded (the condition date is December 31 of the year preceding the tax year).

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Property taxation

The process of calculating a tax by multiplying the assessment by a tax rate.

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Budget

The annual calculation of income and expenditures determines the property tax revenue required to pay for municipal programs and services, as well as library and Heartland Housing Foundation.

Tax rate

Calculated based on the amount of property tax revenue that is required to support municipal operations (the property tax revenue requirement divided by total County assessment).

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Per property share of tax

Each property assessment multiplied by a tax rate. 

A property's share of tax changes each year, for a combination of two reasons: 

1. There is a change in annual budget requirements for municipal, library, Heartland Housing Foundation or the Provincial Education requisition. Council approved a 4.6 per cent municipal revenue increase for the 2023 County budget.

2. A particular property assessment (market value) changed more or less than the average. All Alberta municipalities are legislatively required to annually update property assessment values to reflect market value inflation or deflation, permits and other changes to property characteristics. 2023 residential assessment values in Strathcona County are legislatively based on July 1, 2022 market values. 2022 residential market values generally increased compared to 2021, by approximately 3.9 per cent.

 

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Property value change

Strathcona County uses the assessed value of your property to calculate your property taxes. However increases or decreases in assessed value do not automatically translate into increases or decreases in property taxes.

It's important to understand how your property's assessed value change compares to the overall assessed property value change in Strathcona County.

If your residential assessment (market value) increased more or less than 3.9 per cent, there will be a corresponding effect on your 2023 property taxes.

 

Tax distribution

2023 residential property tax distribution

 

• 62 per cent pays for municipal services
• 34 per cent is collected on behalf of the Government of Alberta for education
• 4 per cent supports the Strathcona County Library and Heartland Housing Foundation

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Local improvement 

A local improvement is a project, approved by County Council, that is considered a greater benefit to a specified area within a municipality, rather than to the whole municipality. Some common examples include sewer infrastructure and roadworks.

A local improvement charge indicates the annual amount a property owner is required to pay to the County over a specified number of years, for projects constructed in the benefiting areas. Local improvements can be paid out any time during the amortization period to avoid future charges. Payout information can be obtained through the County's Financial and Strategic Services Department.

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Provincial education tax requisition

All Alberta municipalities are required to collect education taxes on behalf of the Government of Alberta. The provincial education requisition generates the tax revenue necessary to meet this requirement. Contact the Government of Alberta for education property tax inquiries at 780-422-7125 or visit Education property tax.