What is the deadline to pay my 2025 taxes?
The deadline to pay your 2025 property taxes for both residential and commercial properties is July 15, 2025 as per Bylaw No. 3-2025. If you are on pre-authorized payments however, your account will continue to be debited each month to bring your balance to 0 by December 31, 2025.
What penalties will apply if I fail to pay my 2025 taxes by the deadline?
Failure to remit payment for your property taxes by the July 15, 2025 deadline will result in a penalty of 12% being applied to all outstanding balances as of July 16, 2025. A subsequent penalty of 8% will be applied to all outstanding and/or remaining balances as of January 1, 2026 and another 4% on March 1, 2026.
What payment types do you accept for property taxes?
Payment can be made via cash, cheque, bank draft, online banking, debit or credit card (for a fee) through our partnership with PaySimply. You can come into the Town administration office, log into your personal online banking platform, visit our website or use your preferred mail service available 24/7 at your convenience.
Please be advised that payments can take between 3 to 5 business days to process. Payments must be received by the Town of Vermilion prior to the due date to avoid penalties. Payments made on or before the due date that have not been received until after the due date will be subject to the applicable penalties.
If I didn't receive a tax notice, am I still responsible for paying my property taxes?
Yes. Failure to receive a tax notice does not preclude you from your responsibility to pay your taxes. If you did not receive a tax notice, it is your job to contact the Town of Vermilion administration office to request a copy. As per the Municipal Government Act, once mailed, your tax notice is considered to have been received within 7 days.
It is currently taking 3-4 months for the Town of Vermilion to receive notification of property title changes from Alberta Land Titles. As a result, if you recently purchased a property, the Town may not have the correct information updated in our system. Please make sure to contact us as soon as possible to avoid penalties for non-payment.
I have only owned the property for a few months, why am I being billed for the full year?
When you purchase a property, adjustments for taxes are made between the vendor and the purchaser. All charges on a tax account become the responsibility of the registered owner of the property.
I don't have kids in school, why do I have to pay school tax?
All property owners in Alberta (with some exceptions, such as non-profit organizations and seniors lodge facilities) are required to pay the provincial education property tax, based on their property's assessed value. This tax revenue is collected by the Town of Vermilion and then transferred to the Alberta Government to be placed into the Alberta School Foundation Fund. This money is then distributed among Alberta's public and separate school boards on an equal per-student basis.
Will I automatically receive a receipt after paying my taxes?
Receipts are provided upon request only. If you wish to receive a copy of your receipt, please contact the Town of Vermilion administration office.
Can I appeal the amount of my tax notice?
No. You may not appeal your property tax amount, you may only appeal your property's assessed value by following the appropriate assessment complaint process as outlined above.
What are the arrears on my tax notice?
Any arrears on your tax notice are the result of prior year tax levies and penalties which have not been paid. These amounts will continue to be subject to additional penalties should they remain unpaid. Property owners with an account balance of 2 or more years of unpaid property taxes are subject to the tax arrears recovery process as per the Municipal Government Act.
What is the balance transfer from AR/UB on my tax notice?
Any amounts on your tax notice are the result of accounts receivable invoices or utility account balances and penalties which have not been paid.