IMPORTANT: If you are eligible, the home owner grant should be claimed prior to the tax due date, even if you do not pay your taxes at that time. The grant is considered unpaid tax until it is claimed. By claiming the grant prior to the due date, you avoid paying a penalty on this portion of the tax. 

Home Owner Grant Program Information

The Home Owner Grant is governed and managed by the Ministry of Finance (B.C. Government) to help reduce the amount of residential property tax British Columbians pay.  The grant amount is first applied to the school taxes levied on the principal residence and then to municipal taxes.

The grant is available to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who live in British Columbia, and he or she must occupy the home as his/her principal residence. 

TYPES OF GRANTS:

• Basic Grant  
  Basic Home Owner Grant Information
  
  
• Additional Grant (65 or older, physically disabled, and/or veteran)
  Additional Home Owner Grant Information
   
• Retroactive Grant (if eligible, a grant may be approved for the previous year only)
  Retroactive Home Owner Grant Information 
  
  
• Multiple Grant (for apartment, housing co-operatives, and housing society buildings )
  Multiple Home Owner Grant Information 
  

You must apply for the grant each year after you receive your property tax notice and before December 31. The grant is applied toward the current year's property tax.

How to Apply

To qualify for the grant, please see the eligibility criteria on the Home Owner Grant website. 

To claim the grant, you can:

The completed Home Owner Grant application is due by July 2^nd. When a due date falls on a weekend or statutory holiday, payments will be accepted the following business day without penalty.

For more information, download the Home Owner Grant Explanatory Notes.pdf

Home Owner Grant Forms

Retroactive Home Owner Grant

In some circumstances, a retroactive grant may be approved for the previous year only.

You may be eligible to claim the 2008 grant retroactively in 2009 if you missed the 2008 deadline.

The retroactive grant application may be approved only if one of the following conditions are met:

• you paid the property taxes in full, you owned the property at the time you lived in B.C., and the property was your principle residence as of December 31st of that previous year
  
  
• the property taxes have not been paid, but you were eligible for the grant as of December 31^st of that year

To Apply for the Retroactive Home Owner Grant: 

For New Home Owners

If you have purchased a property after the tax notices have been issued with the vendor on title, and you are eligible to claim the home owner grant, you will need to provide the Certificate of Title as proof of ownership along with your grant application.  

Please call our office to request a duplicate tax bill if you do have a tax notice.  The tax amount must be paid and the grant claimed, if eligible, by the due date in order to avoid late penalty charges.  Until our system is updated with the new ownership information, you will not be able to claim the grant on-line.

In BC, ownership of land is referred to as land title and is documented by registration through the Land Title Office.  Once registered, you will be issued a Certificate of Title which represents that the named owner has ownership rights to the land.

If you are eligible for the home owner grant, you must submit your home owner grant application along with a copy of your Certificate of title showing the land title number. 

SAMPLE - CERTIFICATE OF TITLE FROM BC ONLINE

For Frequently asked Questions about claiming the Home Owner Grant when Buying, Selling and Moving go to:

CLICK HERE Home Owner Grant FAQ - Buying, Selling or Moving.html

Home Owner Grant - FAQ

Frequently asked questions and answers on the Province's website CLICK HERE. 

General Questions about the Grant

Can the Home Owner Grant be applied for more than once in a calendar year?

• No, only one Home Owner Grant can be applied for each year.  A spouse cannot apply for the Home Owner Grant on a different property.  Separated couples can apply for the grant on their own properties but must have entered into a written agreement with their spouse to live separately or be subject to a court order recognizing the split.

How much is the Home Owner Grant worth?

• The Home Owner Grant entitles the owner to a maximum reduction of $570.00 (basic) OR  $845.00 (additional). 
• The grant is reduced at a rate of $5.00 for each $1,000 of assessed value over $1,050,000. 
• The basic Home Owner Grant is eliminated on property assessed at $1,164,000. 
• The additional Home Owner Grant is eliminated on homes assessed at $1,219,000.

Why does the Home Owner Grant have to be applied for every year?

• The Province requires an application each year to confirm your primary residence.  Residency may change when ownership does not.  For example, an owner who resides in his home one year may rent his home out to others the following year.  Since the Home Owner Grant is only for those property owners who live in their home, an application is required each year to uphold the intent of the legislation.

Why can't the banks claim the Home Owner Grant when paying the net property taxes?

• It is a requirement of the Provincial Government that the property owner sign their Home Owner Grant application each year to verify residence.

Why is the Home Owner Grant penalized when it is a grant?

• It is not actually the Home Owner Grant that is penalized.  It is the amount of taxes that would be reduced by the Home Owner Grant.  If the taxes are left unpaid in anticipation of receiving the Home Owner Grant and it is denied (for whatever reason) the taxes that were left unpaid would be subject to the penalties.  

Does the Disability Form B, Certificate of Physician and Property Owner, have to be completed each year?

• No, once the Form B certificate is accepted, we keep it on file unless the Provincial Government requires new forms completed.  For more information on the disability eligibility, please see the  Provincial website.

My name does not appear on the Property Tax Notice.  Can I still claim the Home Owner Grant?

• If you have recently purchased your property, your notice may be in the previous owner's name(s).  If you are eligible for the Home Owner Grant for this property, you may still use the application on the notice.  Just attach a copy of the Registered "Form A - Freehold Transfer" to show us that the property is now in your name.  The Land Titles Office will forward us the updated ownership information eventually, but it may not be in time for the property tax due date.