Paying Your Property Taxes

The Different Ways to Pay Your Property Taxes

• Accepted Methods of Payment

  Cheques & Bank Drafts

  Please make Cheques and Bank Drafts payable to The City of Nanaimo. Either may be postdated to the Property Tax due date. Incomplete items will not be processed. An administration fee will be charged for returned or dishonored payments.

  Debit Cards

  Confirm with your financial institution that your daily transaction limit and balance are sufficient before you make your payment. Credit cards are not accepted for Property Tax payments.

• Pre-Authorized Withdrawal Plan (PAWS)

   This installment plan is  an optional payment plan that provides an opportunity for taxpayers to make monthly installments towards the upcoming year's property taxes through automatic deduction from their bank account. 

  The installments are withdrawn on the fifteenth (15th) day of the month for twelve (12) months starting in July and ending in June.

  There are two options available:

  1. Installments are determined by the City by estimating the upcoming year's taxes. This amount is reviewed annually for the upcoming year.

  2. Fixed monthly installments as determined by the taxpayer. The City does not review these amounts. 

  To apply, please complete the PAWS form.
  

• Pay Online

  On your financial institution’s online banking website search for “Nanaimo” and select the “Taxes” payee option.

  Use the 8-digit folio number on the front of the Property Tax Notice as the account number. 

  The vendor name is set up differently for each financial institution and it may be "City-of-Nanaimo-Taxes" or "Nanaimo Property Tax", for example. Please make sure you select the vendor for Nanaimo and not the Regional District of Nanaimo, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or other vendors.

  If the online payment is not made to the City of Nanaimo you may be subject to late payment fees/penalty.

  Note:  Some institutions require the decimal point after the 5th digit and some do not, you may have to try both.

• Telephone Banking

  Use the 8-digit folio number on the front of the Property Tax Notice as the account number.

  Contact your financial institution for instructions.

• In Person at Your Canadian Financial Institution

  To pay at your bank, please take your property tax notice with you prior to the Property Tax due date.

  All Home Owner Grants are now handled through the Province of B.C. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant for more information.

• Mail via Canada Post or Courier

  If you are mailing in your payment, please detach the payment remittance slip from the bottom of your tax notice and send in the envelope with your cheque.

  Please address mail to 455 Wallace Street, Nanaimo BC, V9R 5J6. Cheques may be post-dated to the Property Tax due date.

  Please have all payments mailed to the City of Nanaimo before the tax due date. The postmark will not be accepted as the date of payment. Mail lost or delayed by the Post Office will be subject to penalty. 

  Please note that your Home Owner Grant still needs to be claimed every year that you are eligible before the tax due date to avoid penalty. This can be completed on the Province's website: http://www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant

   

• Paying in Person

  Tax payments can be made at the Service & Resource Centre, 411 Dunsmuir Street, open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30pm.

  Accepted methods of payment for property tax:

  • Cheque (made payable to the City of Nanaimo)
  • Debit Card (ensure your daily transaction limits allow for full payment)
  • Cash under $10,000.00

  Please Note: CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED

  Home Owner Grants are now claimed directly with the Province by phone or online. Visit http://www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant for more information.

  Please be prepared to possibly wait in line if paying in person.

• Drop Off Payment

  The Service and Resource Centre located at 411 Dunsmuir Street is open Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. There is a drop off slot located at the front of the building and is accessible 24 hours a day.

• Home Owner Grants

  You must apply for the Home Owner Grant through the Province.  Municipalities are no longer accepting applications. Program eligibility is unchanged.

  In order to avoid penalties and interest, apply before the tax due date, starting May 2022.

  Learn more http://www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant or phone 1 888 355 2700.
  

  
  

  
  

• Mortgage Company

  Your mortgage company may also pay your property taxes on your behalf.  If this is the case for your property, it will be stated on your property tax notice near the top on the right hand side.  Do not pay your property taxes if your mortgage company is paying on your behalf.

  If you are unsure, please contact your mortgage company.  It is their responsibility to inform the City of Nanaimo of their obligations to pay your property taxes.

  It is also the mortgage company's responsibility to know if you are claiming a Home Owner Grant or not.  To avoid over or under payments, please ensure that your mortgage company knows if you are claiming a Home Owner Grant or not. 

  If you are turning 65 at any point in the current taxation year and are eligible to claim the Senior's Home Owner Grant (the grant amount is greater than the regular Home Owner Grant).  Ensure that your mortgage company is aware and takes this into account when they are calculating your property tax payments that they collect from you.