THE City of Vancouver is reminding residential property owners that February 2 is the due date for their annual Empty Homes Tax (EHT) declaration.
As of January 25, 79 per cent of owners have submitted their EHT declarations, and 40,106 still need to declare.
A declaration is required for all residential properties in Vancouver, regardless of whether the owner lives in the property, or rents it out. For co-owned properties, only one declaration is required. A $250 by-law fine will apply to owners who miss the due date.
Declarations can be made online at vancouver.ca/eht-declare.
For help making a declaration, watch the City’s step-by-step video guide, chat live with an advisor on the City’s web site, or call 3-1-1 (outside Vancouver: 604-873-7000).
Declaration instructions are also available in English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Punjabi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese on the City’s web site.
Who will be assessed the tax?
If a declaration is not received for a property by February 2, it will be deemed vacant and assessed the tax. If a late declaration of ‘occupied’ or ‘exempt’ status is made for that property after the due date, and is verified by the City, the tax will not apply.
Most owners of residential property in Vancouver will not be required to pay the tax, as it does not apply to principal residences, properties that are rented out at least six months a year, or properties that are eligible for an exemption.
Properties that are declared vacant by their owner, or deemed or determined vacant under the EHT program, will be subject to the tax at a rate of three per cent (3%) of the property’s assessed 2021 taxable value.
All property status declarations are potentially subject to an audit process to determine their validity and encourage compliance.
Background on the EHT
Learn more about the purpose, history and impact of the Empty Homes Tax on the City’s web site.
The provincial government’s Speculation and Vacancy Tax is separate from the City’s Empty Homes Tax. Inquiries regarding the province’s tax should be directed to spectaxinfo@gov.bc.ca or by calling 1-833-554-2323.
