The Home Owner Grant is a provincial government program designed to help homeowners reduce the property taxes of the home in which they reside.
Basic and Additional Grants are available to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants who ordinarily reside in British Columbia and occupy the home as their principal residence and meet the eligibility requirements. For information on eligibility requirements, please visit the Province’s website, Home Owner Grant.
How do I claim the Home Owner Grant?
You can apply online for your Home Owner Grant or by phone at 1-888-355-2700 Monday to Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
How much assistance is available?
The Basic Home Owner Grant is $770 for owners of properties with assessed values less than $1,120,000. The Home Owner Grant is phased out at a rate of $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value in excess of $1,625,000. Properties with an assessed value greater than $1,779,000 do not qualify for the Basic Home Owner Grant.
In addition to the basic grant, the Additional Grant can reduce your property tax by a further $275, for a total of up to $1045. However, it cannot reduce the amount payable to below $100. The additional grant will be reduced by $5 for each $1,000 of assessed value in excess of $1,100,000. Therefore, properties with an assessed value greater than $1,834,000 do not qualify for the grant.
You must apply for the Home Owner Grant every year on or before the tax due date. Home Owner Grants not claimed by the tax due date will be subject to penalties as they are considered unpaid taxes. If your financial institution is remitting property taxes on your behalf, you must still complete your Home Owner Grant application.
Retroactive Home Owner Grant
If you forgot to apply for your Home Owner Grant last year, you may be eligible to receive a Retroactive Home Owner Grant. The grant may be approved for the previous year only. For example, you have until the end of 2021 to retroactively claim the Home Owner Grant for 2020.
You must meet one of the following conditions to be approved for the retroactive grant application:
- You paid the property taxes in full, you owned the property at the time you lived in BC, and the property was your principle residence as of December 31, 2020.
- You have not paid your property taxes, but you were eligible for the grant as of December 31, 2020.
Applying for the Retroactive Home Owner Grant
- Complete the Retroactive Home Owner Grant Application Form
