We understand that the increase in the 2023 final taxes are higher than in previous years. The City’s final tax bill includes the levies from the City, the Region and the Province.
For the median valued home in St. Catharines, the City’s portion has increased by 1.07 percent, while Niagara Region’s percentage has increased by 22.03 per cent of which three quarters is due to the amalgamation of transit at the Regional level where the transit costs were previously part of the Region’s General Levy and the City’s Urban Service Area Levy, and the Provincial education portion by 0.75 per cent.
With respect to the overall increase, 94 per cent is due to the Region’s budgetary needs and the uploading of transit services from the local municipalities. The City’s marginal increase benefited from the upload of transit costs to the Niagara Region Transit and includes investments for capital infrastructure funding, recovering from the global pandemic with rebuilding of reserves and maintaining service delivery to our residents.
Residents may want to consider the monthly pre-authorized payment plans program to help spread out payments with no added interest.
The City of St. Catharines offers a variety of payment options for property owners to pay their property taxes. Discover the method that's right for you and learn more about our tax rates.
Property tax payment options |
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You can use any of the following payment methods to pay your property taxes with the City. All payments must be received by 4:30 p.m. of the payment due date. Penalty fees are applied on the first day of default and again on the first day of each following month until paid. If you have small balance arrears on your account, it could be the result of late payment. Make a payment online:We accept payments using Visa or MasterCard through our online service provider, Paymentus. A convenience fee applies for credit card transactions. Please be advised that it may take up to two business days for online payments to be processed. By mailYou can mail a cheque, made payable to the City of St. Catharines, to:
In-person payment or drop offYou can pay by cheque, cash or debit in-person at our Citizens First customer service desk on the second floor of City Hall during regular business hours. You can also deposit your cheque in the after-hours deposit box at City Hall, located at the James Street entrance. Do not deposit cash. With your financial institutionYou can have your Canadian financial institution (banking provider) submit your property tax payments for you. Contact your bank for more information or to help get you set up with this option. TelephoneYou can pay your property taxes by calling the telephone banking number found on the back of your personal Interac card and following your bank's instructions over the phone. OnlineYou can pay your property taxes through online banking. Contact your banking provider to help you set up this option. Please allow sufficient time for your bank to forward the payment to the City when using this option. Pre-authorized paymentsYou can set up a pre-authorized debit payment plan with the City. Learn about the instalment plan and monthly plan options available and how to sign up with our Pre-authorized Debit Agreement Form. |
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Property tax instalment due dates |
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Property tax instalment due dates are on the last business days of February, April, June and September. We mail property tax bills at least 21 days before each instalment due date. 2023 instalment dates:
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Receive your property tax bill electronically |
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You can choose to receive your property tax and water utility bills from the City electronically. This environmentally friendly option helps save paper and lets you access your property tax and water bill information anytime and anywhere with just a few clicks! You can also access property tax instalment dates, assessments, water consumption usage and transactions. |
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Property tax deferral program |
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We offer a property tax deferral program for eligible seniors and individuals living with disabilities. The program allows participants to defer tax increases for the current year for increases over a minimum of $200 from the previous year. |
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Assistance programs |
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The City and other levels of government offer tax rebate and assistance programs for eligible individuals and organizations. Cancellation, reduction and refund of property taxesResidential property owners and commercial/industrial property owners can apply for cancellation, reduction and refund of property taxes with the City. Rebate for charitable organizationsEligible charitable organizations registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and paying commercial/industrial taxes on the property they are occupying can apply for a property tax rebate with the City. To be considered for a rebate, you must complete your application and file it between Jan. 1 of the tax year and Feb. 28 of the following year. Grants for ethno-cultural organizationsEligible ethno-cultural organizations can apply for a Transitional Grant for Ethno-cultural Organizations with the City. The grant amount is 50 per cent of the City's portion of property taxes.
Niagara Region property tax assistance informationLearn about other property tax relief programs with Niagara Region and other levels of government. |
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Tax rates |
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Each year, municipalities decide how much funds they need to raise from their property taxes to pay for services. They determine the tax rate based on that amount. St. Catharines property tax rates are set by City Council each year. Rates are determined by balancing the needs for programs and infrastructure with the financial requirements of the City and revenue streams. The City and Niagara Region independently determine the tax rate for each property tax class. The Province of Ontario sets the education tax rates for all properties within the province. The combined taxes collected by the City (municipal, regional and educational) fund various projects with the City of St. Catharines, Niagara Region and provincial education. 2023 tax ratesOn May 29, 2023, City Council finalized the combined property tax rate for 2023. The combined rate, which blends City, regional and provincial education rates, is a part of the normal budget process that takes place annually. This finalized rate is used to generate tax bills for the current year. Most properties in St. Catharines are taxed under the urban rate, which includes allotments for streetlights and transit. You can calculate the total tax amount owed for the year by multiplying your assessed value by your property's tax rate, then adding any local improvement levies to the amount. You can find local improvement levy amounts on your final tax bill. Try our Property Tax Calculator to learn more.
2023 Business Improvement Area (BIA) tax ratesSome properties, located in Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), pay an additional BIA tax rate. Currently this only applies to the Downtown Association.
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Frequently asked questions about property taxes and finalized tax rates |
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View answers to some of the more commonly asked questions about property taxes in St. Catharines.
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