Vancouver Vacancy Tax
The City of Vancouver enacted the Vancouver Vacancy Tax Bylaw to come into effect for 2018 under Bylaw #11674. The tax of 1% will be imposed if a property is deemed either unoccupied or vacant.
All properties solely classified under class 1 are eligible for the tax. Thus, vacant residential development land can be liable for tax, however, if it has a split class, the City has stated it will not be liable to the tax or require a declaration to be completed. Every residential property must make a declaration within the definition even if it is exempt.
A residential property is considered unoccupied if it is not:
- The principal resident of an occupier; or
- Occupied by a tenant or subtenant for a term of at least 30 consecutive days.
The property is considered vacant if it:
- Has been unoccupied for more than 180 days during the vacancy reference period (12 months of the tax year); or
- Is deemed to be vacant property in accordance with the by-law
There are circumstances when the property is exempt outlined in the bylaw.
In particular if:
- It is undergoing redevelopment or major renovations. Permits must have been issued,
- It is considered unimproved property and an application for redevelopment has been submitted and is being diligently pursued,
- It is undevelopable due to physical constraints (eg. Parcel size restraints),
- The lawful use of the property is for parking,
To file a declaration, go to Vancouver.ca/eht-declare
If you have any doubts as to whether you should make a declaration, call the City. 311
Publications
- Reasons For Landlords To Appeal Their Property Assessments
- Developers need to Appeal the Additional School Tax (AST)
- Expected Assessed Value Changes In 2022
- 2022 Property Assessment Value Changes
- Misconceptions within the Property Assessment Process
- Additional School Tax Exemption for Developers
- Minimizing Property Tax on Development Land
- Why Such An Increase 2021 Industrial Property Taxes?
- Burnaby Industrial Properties Appear to be Over-Assessed
- Have BC Assessment Over-assessed Retail Spaces
- 2021 Property Assessment Value Changes
- Assessment Of Residential Sites Under Construction
- Should Homebuilders Be Paying Additional School Tax?
- City of Vancouver Land Averaging 2020
- Government Assistance: Property Tax
- 2020 Assessment of Apartment Properties
- Development Sites: Is The Additional School Tax Applicable?
- 2020 Property Assessment Value Changes
- BC Lower Mainland Market Update 2020
- Taxes Affecting Real Estate In 2019
- Development of Sites Under Construction - 2020
- Land Averaging For 2019 Property Tax In Vancouver
- 2019 Property Assessment Value Changes
- Understanding B.C.'s Proportional Representation Referendum (PPTX)
- Amacon Update
- Vancouver Vacancy Tax
- 2018 Property Assessment Value Changes
- Mayor's Council Proposal for Funding Transit
- Resolving Disputes - A New Approach
- Mixed Use Properties - Potential reclassification for Property Taxation
- Classification of Mixed Use Properties September 2016 Update
- Possible Effects of FIT on Assessments
- BC Foreign Investors Tax
- NAIOP Industrial Panel
- Classification of Mixed Use Sites - Part 2
- Opportunities for Brokers
- Valuation of Properties Under Construction
- Is Assessed Value Equal to Market Value?
- Civil Resolution Tribunal Update - October 2014
- Assessment Appeal Board Changes Classification for Mixed Use Development Sites
- Strata Civil Resolution Tribunal Update
- Reviewing Appraisals - Download
- Resolving a Rental Dispute
- How are School Taxes Calculated? | doc