Frequently Asked Questions About Taxes

 How do I set up a new tax account?

In order to set up your tax account, the Township of Wilmot must receive legal documentation showing you as the owner of the property.  In most cases this will come from your lawyer, or the Municipal Property assessment Corporation (MPAC).  Documents that you could provide would be a copy of the property deed showing you as the owner, or the Instrument from the Land Registry Office that shows you as the owner.

How do I change the ownership information, or mailing address on my tax account?

In order to change ownership information on your tax account, the Township of Wilmot must receive legal documentation showing the correct information.  Documents that you could provide would be a copy of the property deed showing the correct ownership information or the Instrument from the Land Registry Office that shows the correct ownership information. 

To change your mailing address simply write to the Township supplying your roll number (begins with 3018), and your new mailing address and staff will make the necessary changes to your account.

 How are my taxes calculated?

The Township of Wilmot uses your property's assessment value to calculate your taxes.  This assessment, provided to the Township by the Municipal Property assessment Corporation (MPAC), is multiplied by the relevant tax rates set by by the Township, the Region of Waterloo, and the Province of Ontario (on behalf of the school boards).

A breakdown of how your taxes were calculated is included on your Final Tax Bill, usually issued in June or July.

If you have more detailed questions about how your taxes are calculated please feel free to contact the Township's Finance Department.

How is my Interim Tax Bill calculated?

Because the Township has not yet calculated its annual tax rates by the time the Interim Tax Bill is issued, your Interim Tax Bill is calculated as 50% of your annualized previous years taxes.  For example if your annual taxes were $2,000 for last year, then your Interim Tax Bill will be $1,000, split between two instalments. This 50% calculation is prescribed by the Province and cannot be larger than 50%.  Because of this, all tax increases arising from increased tax rates will all appear on your final tax billing. Unfortunately, this results in interim installments smaller than the final installments of the prior year and of the current year.  

What do my taxes pay for?

Your property taxes pay for a variety of services at the Township, Regional and Educational levels. Services covered by your Township taxes include (but not limited to): roads, storm water management, street lighting, fire services, and parks and facility maintenance.  For more information regarding the allocation of your taxes please see our Tax Rates page.

For information regarding the Region's portion of your taxes please visit the Region of Waterloo's website.

I moved into a newly built house, why are my taxes so low? When will I be fully assessed?

The reason your taxes are low is that the structure of your home has not been fully assessed, and your taxes are most likely only being calculated on the "land" assessment of your property.  If this is the case, the Municipal Property assessment Corporation (MPAC) has not yet included the assessment value of the house on your property's total assessment, and you will at some point receive a Supplemental Bill(s) from the Township for taxes owing against the assessed value of your house, retroactive to your date of occupancy.  These bills may come at any point within the next 2 years after construction of your house (example: your house was built in 2022, so you may receive supplemental bills in 2023, 2024 or 2025).  Again, these Supplementary billings are retroactive, and only have two due dates, so new homeowners are cautioned to be prepared for these billings to come. 

If you have questions regarding your assessment value, or if you would like to have MPAC come and inspect your property, please contact MPAC at 1-866-296-6722 or visit MPAC website.

I think my assessment is too high, what can I do?

If you believe your assessment is too high, you can submit a Request for Reconsideration (RfR) form to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) by March 31 in the year of your complaint.  For more information regarding the RfR process, or for copies of the RfR form, please visit MPAC's website.

If you believe that your assessment is incorrect due to a "factual" error in MPAC's records you may be eligible for an assessment reduction in your taxes.  For more information on how to apply to have your assessment reduced because of a "factual" error, complete a 357 application.

What will the Township do if I don't pay my tax bill?

If you do not pay your tax bill by the due date, the Township will add monthly penalty of 1.25% to the outstanding principal amount until the balance is paid in full. We also issue periodic arrears notices, for which an additional charge is also billed.

If you continue to not pay your taxes, your property may fall into the tax sales process; a process whereby the Township may sell your property by public tender or public auction as a way to recover the outstanding taxes (this is a last resort option). Mortgage companies consider it a default of your financing terms is your taxes fall into arrears. We only report arrears to mortgage companies as we initiate the tax sales process. 

My education taxes are going to the wrong school board, how can I change this?

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) is responsible for supplying the Township of Wilmot with all assessment information including your designated school support.  If you would like to change your designated school board, please contact MPAC at 1-866-296-6722, or visit MPAC website.