Burnaby property tax for 2026 is charged at a total residential rate of 3.28373 per $1,000 of assessed value, and payment is due July 3, 2026. Miss that date by a single day and a 5% penalty hits the entire outstanding balance. Most owners who live in their home can trim the bill through the provincial Home Owner Grant, worth $570 for the basic grant or $845 for seniors aged 65 or older, veterans, and persons with disabilities.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
The math is simple: assessed value, multiplied by the tax rate, divided by 1,000. Your assessed value comes from BC Assessment, which estimates what your property would have sold for on the open market as of July 1 of the previous year.1BC Assessment. Understanding the Assessment Process The City of Burnaby then sets rates by bylaw each year, as required under section 197 of the Community Charter, which obliges councils to establish property value tax rates after adopting the financial plan and before May 15.2BC Laws. Community Charter – Part 7 Municipal Revenue
Only about 52 cents of every property tax dollar stays with the city. The rest is collected on behalf of other agencies. The 2026 residential rate breaks down like this per $1,000 of assessed value:3City of Burnaby. Property Tax Estimator – Residential (Class 1)
- City of Burnaby: 1.72223
- School (provincial): 1.11020
- TransLink: 0.35860
- Metro Vancouver: 0.05440
- BC Assessment: 0.03810
- Municipal Finance Authority: 0.00020
Using the city’s own worked example, a home assessed at $1,268,706 produces gross taxes of $4,166.09 before any grants, local area service charges, or sewer parcel fees.4City of Burnaby. Property Taxes One thing worth understanding: if your assessed value climbed faster than the city average this year, your share of the total tax levy goes up even when rates hold steady. The rate is set to collect a fixed dollar amount across all properties, so a home that gained proportionally more value absorbs a larger slice.
The Home Owner Grant
The Home Owner Grant is the biggest single reduction available to most Burnaby homeowners. For properties in Metro Vancouver, the basic grant is $570, and the enhanced grant for seniors aged 65 or older, veterans, and persons with disabilities is $845.5Province of British Columbia. Home Owner Grant It applies directly against the tax bill, so an owner owing $4,166 with the basic grant would pay roughly $3,596.
To qualify, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, live in British Columbia, and occupy the property as your principal residence.5Province of British Columbia. Home Owner Grant You also cannot have claimed the grant on any other property for the same calendar year.6BC Laws. Home Owner Grant Act
The Value Threshold Catches People
For 2026, the grant threshold is $2,075,000. If your property sits at or below that value, you receive the full grant. Above it, the grant shrinks by $5 for every $1,000 of assessed value over the threshold. The basic grant disappears once the assessed value exceeds $2,189,000, and the enhanced grant hits zero at $2,244,000.5Province of British Columbia. Home Owner Grant Given Burnaby values, plenty of owners of modest homes end up above the cutoff. If your assessment sits just above it, a successful appeal could restore part or all of the grant.
How to Claim It
The grant application goes through the provincial government, not the City of Burnaby. You apply online through the province and need the folio number and access code printed on your property tax notice.7City of Burnaby. How to Pay You must claim by the property tax due date. An unclaimed grant triggers the same 5% penalty as an unpaid tax bill, and the city has no authority to waive it.8City of Burnaby. Fees, Charges and Penalties People forget every year. It is an expensive oversight.
The Deadline and What Late Costs
The 2026 property tax deadline is July 3, 2026.4City of Burnaby. Property Taxes A payment that arrives even one day late triggers a 5% penalty on the full outstanding balance, and that balance includes any unclaimed Home Owner Grant. The city cannot waive or reduce the penalty for any reason.8City of Burnaby. Fees, Charges and Penalties On a $4,000 bill, that is $200 lost to being a day late.
If you are paying by online banking, allow at least a few business days for the transaction to reach the city. Payments that arrive after July 3 trigger the penalty regardless of when you initiated them. A postmark on a mailed cheque does not count either.
How to Pay
Burnaby accepts payment through most banks (add the city as a payee and enter your folio number), by mailed cheque or the secure drop box at City Hall, or through the city’s My Property Portal. To register on the portal, you need the folio number and access code from your tax notice.7City of Burnaby. How to Pay
Monthly Prepayment
To spread the cost across the year instead of paying one July lump sum, Burnaby offers a Pre-Authorized Debit plan. The city withdraws a fixed amount on the first of each month from August through May (ten payments), and any remaining balance is collected on July 1. Your account must be in good standing with no outstanding balance to enroll, and you submit the application form with a void cheque.9City of Burnaby. Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD) Property Tax and Utility Prepaid amounts earn simple interest at prime minus 2.5%, with a floor of 0.5%. Two dishonoured payments within six months can get you removed from the program.
Deferring Your Taxes
If paying is a genuine hardship, the province runs two tax deferment programs. Deferred taxes become a low-interest loan secured by a lien on the property and are repaid when you sell or transfer.
The Regular Program is open to homeowners aged 55 or older, surviving spouses of someone who qualified, and persons with disabilities. The Families With Children Program covers owners who financially support a child under 18 living with them full-time or part-time, a child they pay support for, or an adult child attending a post-secondary institution or with a severe disability that significantly restricts daily living activities.10Province of British Columbia. Property Tax Deferment Program Eligibility
Deferment is not free. For taxes deferred in 2026, both programs charge compound interest at 2% above the prime rate of the government’s principal banker. Interest is calculated daily, compounded monthly, and added to the balance on the 23rd of each month, with the rate resetting quarterly on January 1, April 1, July 1, and October 1.11Province of British Columbia. Interest and Fees for Property Tax Deferment Over many years the compounding adds up, so deferment works best as a cash-flow tool for people who need the breathing room rather than a long-term strategy for anyone who can afford to pay.
If You Think Your Assessment Is Wrong
If you believe BC Assessment overvalued your property, you have the right to challenge it. The 2026 window has closed: the deadline to file a formal complaint with the Property Assessment Review Panel was February 2, 2026, and appeals to the Property Assessment Appeal Board must be filed by April 30 after going through the review panel first.12BC Assessment. Appeals For future years, watch for your assessment notice each January and act quickly. BC Assessment encourages owners to contact them directly first, which sometimes resolves the issue without a formal hearing.13Province of British Columbia. Property Assessment Review Panel A successful appeal that drops your assessed value below $2,075,000 could also restore Home Owner Grant eligibility.