For your convenience, a public map is available here, showing civic and legal addresses, property information such as current property assessments, land use zoning information, and property dimensions.
The Town of Coalhurst issues Assessment Notices, by mail, with Tax Notices. The Assessment Notice advises residents the roll is open for inspection and gives thirty (30) days in which appeals can be received. Each year, property taxes are mailed in June and taxes are due no later than July 31 of that same year. Late payments will be subject to penalties (more information below).
To see information regarding the current year’s mill rate, please visit the Bylaws & Policies page of this website.
HOW TO PAY YOUR PROPERTY TAXES
Payments can be made using one of the following options:
- online through your financial institution
- online using a credit card (note: additional charges apply)
- Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP – see information below)
- in person at the Town Office
- by dropping a cheque in the all-hours drop box at the entrance to the Town Office
- by cheque in the mail
PENALTIES
It is your responsibility to ensure your payment is processed by the appropriate due date. If paying through your financial institution, be aware of its processing times.
After July 31, if there is an outstanding balance on your taxes, a 12 percent penalty will be applied, with a further 6 percent penalty on any balance after October 31. Any outstanding balance carried forward into the next year will be further penalized at a rate of 1.5 percent per month.
ASSESSMENT ROLL & TAX RATES
The primary responsibility of the Town’s assessor is to determine the market value of every property within the Town of Coalhurst. The assessment roll is a listing of all properties located within the town and their assessed values. The Town of Coalhurst uses the assessment roll to determine the tax rates that must be set to raise the revenues required by the Town and various taxing authorities. In addition to collecting taxes for the Town, we collect taxes for the Province of Alberta (Alberta Education) and Green Acres Foundation (seniors housing), enabling these authorities to maintain services for Coalhurst residents.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
- Tax Installment Payment Plan Form (TIPP)
- Online payments using credit card
- Online payments are accepted for property taxes and/or utilities.
- Note: Online payments using credit card may take 3-5 business days to process and a Plastiq service fee will be applied.
ASSESSMENT FAQs
What is an assessment?
An assessment is the estimate of a property’s market value, as of July 1, of the previous year.
What is market value?
Market value is the most probable price which would be paid for a property in a competitive and open market. Market value assumes the buyer and seller are acting prudently and knowledgeably, allowing sufficient time for the sale, and that the transaction is not affected by undue pressures.
What are property classes?
Once the assessment has been determined, the assessor must determine which tax classification is appropriate for your property. In the Town of Coalhurst, two property tax classifications are used:
- residential
- non-residential
How is property valued?
The assessor doesn’t imagine or create the value of your property; the value is determined by the real estate market. The assessor simply measures that value. Through the Provincial Land Titles Office, the assessor is continuously updated on all real estate sales in the Town.
The assessor applies accepted mass appraisal practices using information from all property sales within the Town of Coalhurst to estimate the market value of your property. The assessor considers the market conditions that may affect your property’s value, such as location, size, shape, replacement cost, age, and the condition of your building.
We paid $100,000 for this property. Why is it assessed at $110,000?
In the real estate market, many things affect a property’s value. These include supply and demand, the motivation of buyers and sellers, renovations, remodelling, and normal wear and tear.
When similar properties are sold within the same timeframe, a range of sale prices result. Assessed values reflect sales in the middle of this price range — resulting in assessments that are higher or lower than the selling price.
Provincial law recognizes the difficulty in completing annual market value assessments. For this reason, provincial standards stipulate that individual property assessments falling within 10 percent of market value are deemed correct.
The purpose of an assessment roll is not to reflect one sale price or an opinion of value, but to assess all similar property at a similar value so taxation is fairly and evenly shared.
What can I do if I disagree with the assessor’s estimate of my property’s value?
If you disagree with the assessed market value for your property or its classification, contact the assessor at (403) 381-0535. The assessor will be pleased to review your assessment with you. If the assessor agrees an error has been made, she/he will correct the assessment.
I still disagree with the assessment or tax classification. What should I do?
If after talking to the assessor you still disagree with the estimate of your property’s value or classification, you can file an appeal with the Regional Local Assessment Appeal Board. A written appeal and the appropriate fee must be sent to the Town of Coalhurst. The assessment notice you have received contains information relating to fees, the final date to file an appeal, and the Town’s mailing address.
The form can be found by clicking the following link and looking under “Publications” for the form titled Assessment Review Board Complaint Form: http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/mc_assessment_complaints_and_appeals. For more information, please refer to the back of your Tax Notice.
PROPERTY TAX FAQs
What is a tax rate?
A tax rate is the rate of taxation applied against the value of property within a municipality to collect the revenue required by the various taxation authorities. Normally the tax rate is expressed in mills (dollars of tax paid per thousand dollars of property value).
How are my taxes calculated?
Taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value of your property by the mill (tax) rate and dividing that by 1,000. You can calculate any property’s taxes by finding the assessment on the Public Map provided in the link at the top of this webpage and following this formula. (Assessment x Mill (Tax) Rate) / 1,000
Can I appeal my taxes?
No. You can only appeal the assessment on your property.
I received a form regarding Provincial Education Property Tax. Why did I receive this and what do I do with it?
In Alberta, education is a provincial program. The taxes that fund the program are raised and distributed on a provincial basis. Municipalities collect education tax dollars from their ratepayers and send them to the Province and, in some instances, to a separate (Catholic) school board.
Property owners are asked to declare whether their education tax dollars ought to go to the public school system or the Catholic school system. When you receive this form, you can fill it out and return it to the Town Office, either by mail or in-person. Forms dropped off after hours can be placed in the all-hours drop box at the entrance to the Town Office.
To learn more about this form, please see these additional FAQs.
QUESTIONS?
If you have further questions regarding property taxes or assessments, please contact us by phone at 403-381-3033, or by emailing us at [email protected].