Property Taxes

In order to provide the many municipal services and programs that you use every day, we collect revenue through property taxes. Your property tax payment supports the local municipality, the County of Bruce, and the local school boards.

Paying Your Property Taxes

Learn more about paying your property taxes, including:

Bill schedules
Payment options and forms
Penalties and interest charges

How Your Taxes are Calculated

Your taxes are calculated using the assessed value of your property, multiplied by the current tax rate. The Municipal Property and Assessment Corporation (MPAC) provides this value.

Learn more about your property assessment.

Tax Rates

Find the current tax rates by viewing this year's table below. This will help you figure out your tax class's rate. We have also provided tax rates for past years.

Local Improvements and Other Charges

If applicable, your property tax bill may include other amounts owed to the Town, such as:

Sewer and/or water connection charges
Encroachment fees
Business Improvement Area (BIA) annual levy
Tile drainage loan payments
Other fees as approved by Council

Special Charges

Police Building Capital Charge

Contributes towards the Town’s debt payments for the police headquarters located at 1240 MacKenzie Road. These charges will be in place until 2039

Waste Management Fixed Fee

Contributes towards landfill capital projects and the eventual expansion of the Southampton landfill.

Future Infrastructure Special Levy

The 2024 Business Plan included a new Future Infrastructure Special Levy to support the Town’s 10-Year Capital Plan. This levy is included in your final 2024 tax rate and supports required infrastructure spending as identified in a long-term asset management program. The long-term asset management program is designed to ensure the Town’s infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, etc.) is properly funded, maintained, and replaced, as needed. This levy is applied as a rate per assessed value, and represents a $4.08/month increase for the average Saugeen Shores household.

School Board Support

School Board Support is administered through The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC). MPAC has updated the Application for Direction of School Support (ADSS) form on the Changing Your School Support page on mpac.ca.

Visit the online portal to change your school support. A paper-based form is still available in English and French by visiting the webpage.

Tax Certificates

Tax certificates can be paid for via cheque or via credit card. There is a fee of $70 per roll number or $125 if required within two business days.

Cheque

To request a tax certificate, please send a written request and a copy of your cheque to propertytax@saugeenshores.ca

Credit Card

To request a tax certificate, please complete this form and attach a copy of your written request to the form.

Tax Account Statements/Receipt Requests

2022 - 2024 Requests

To purchase a property tax statement/receipt, please complete this form or come to the The Municipal Office (600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin).
We cannot provide receipts for properties that were purchased or sold mid-year. Please refer to the statement of adjustment provided by your lawyer for this information.

Historical Requests

If you require historical property tax information (requests for years prior to 2022), please send your written requests to Property Tax department to receive a quote.

Reprints of Tax Bills

To request a copy of a bill, please complete this form or come to the The Municipal Office (600 Tomlinson Drive, Port Elgin). There is a fee of $12.
For requests prior to 2021 please send your written requests to Property Tax department.

Requests for Property PINs

Property PINs for use on a Underused Housing Tax Return and Election Form for the CRA can be retrieved for free by going to the Ontario Land Registry Access website.

Note: Searching land registry records can be a complex process and staff cannot interpret records on your behalf. If you need assistance with your search, please contact a legal professional, such as a solicitor or title searcher.

Supplementary Tax Billing

(New Construction and Changes to Assessments)

These bills are in addition to any Interim and/or Final Property Tax bills issued during the year.

A supplemental tax bill is generated when MPAC (the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) advises the municipality with a Property Assessment Change Notice.

It can take time for a property to be assessed. Supplementary billings can occur anytime during the year and the change can effect the current year plus two prior years. Taxes for the entire waiting period could be billed all within the same year and come due at the same time.

New Construction

Owners of new construction, residential or commercial, will receive a land only tax bill until such time as the value of the construction/addition is determined by MPAC. Following assessment, the supplementary tax bill will be issued and is effective from the date of occupancy. This can result in a large tax bill coming due at the same time.

What can be done to ease the impact of this billing?

You are encouraged to start setting aside funds immediately following your construction for the future supplementary tax bills.
Alternatively you can pay additional funds on you tax roll to build up a credit to try to offset the supplementary tax bills. The Town does not have a pre-authorized payment plan for this.

All other changes

Changes to your assessment can happen for a wide variety of reasons including but not limited to

Change in tax classification or tax status
Requests for reconsideration that approved by MPAC
Any tax adjustment forms submitted to MPAC that are approved

These types of changes will coincide with a notice from MPAC. Any adjustment/supplemental billings or credits will take up to 3 month to process from the date of notice.