Property Taxes and Payment FAQs

Where do my Property Taxes go?

Property taxes enable Saddle Hills County to deliver services to property owners within the municipality. Services that benefit the community at large include things like construction and maintenance of roads, weed control, municipal development, fire protection, water and sewer services for the Hamlet of Woking and potable water infrastructure in rural areas of the County.

Does Saddle Hills County issue property assessments?

Yes. Assessment is the process of valuing property for the purpose of fairly and equitably distributing a municipality's total property tax among property owners. This process establishes the value of a property in relation to similar properties. This process does not, in and of itself generate property taxes. Property taxes are generated when the Provincial school & Municipal tax rates are multiplied by the assessed value of your property. The municipal tax rate is also known as the municipal mill rate.

The assessor determines an estimate of market value based on the fee simple estate as of July 1 of the assessment year.

How are my Property Taxes calculated?

Property taxes are calculated for your property by multiplying your current year phased in assessment value by the applicable property tax rate. For a detailed explanation of the process, please visit the Alberta Government website.

What are the this year's Tax Rates?

The yearly Tax Rate Bylaw sets the rate for different types of property.

What can I do if I disagree with my Property Assessment?

If you believe your property assessment is incorrect in comparison to similar properties in your area, you have the option to submit an Assessment Review Complaint Form. The County will review your assessment for a fee. The deadline to submit an Assessment Review Complaint is 60 days after the Notice of Assessment date.

How do I get a statement of my Property Tax Account?

You can get a statement of you tax account by emailing us. Be sure to include your name (as it appears on the tax bill), the property address or roll number.

How do I request a Tax Certificate?

You may request Tax certificates for property within Saddle Hills County. The fee for all tax certificate requests is $25.00 per parcel.

Please complete and submit the Tax Certificate Request form and payment.

For more information or options please contact Taxation.

I have bought a newly built house. When can I expect a property tax bill?

When are my property tax bills issued, and when are they due?

Property taxes are levied once per year before July 1 and payment is due before August 1 of each year.

If you have paid property taxes in a previous year, you can sign up for our Tax Instalment Payment Plan, which lets you pay your property taxes in monthly installments based on your previous year's assessment.

How do I sign up for eBilling?

If you pay your taxes monthly through our Tax Instalment Payment Plan, you can sign up to receive your receipts by email. You can pay your property taxes through your online banking app by setting up Saddle Hills County as a payee, and using your roll number as the account number. Contact your bank for more information on how to do this.

What forms of payment do you accept?

Saddle Hills County offers a number of ways to pay your tax bills. You can pay by credit or debit card in person, or you can call in with the card number. You can pay by cheque, mailing or delivering the cheque, along with a note of which roll or rolls you're paying, to our office at:

Saddle Hills County

Junction of Highway 49 and Highway 725

RR1, Spirit River, Alberta, T0H 3G0

You can leave your cheque in the drop boxes at the entrances to our office. The date listed on the postage of the cheque will be what we use to determine if the payment is considered late.

Is there a late fee if I don't pay on time?

A penalty of 6 percent of the current year's tax bill is applied if payment is not received before August 1. A further penalty of 6 percent of the current year's tax bill is applied if payment is not received before November 1. An additional penalty of 6 percent of the entire outstanding balance is applied if payment is not received before January 1.

Why did I receive a reminder notice?

Tax reminder notices are issued two weeks after the first installment due date for each issued bill if the installment payment has not been paid in full by the due date.

If I pay at my financial institution prior to the deadline but it takes several days for the payment to be deposited in the County's account, am I penalized?

No. Saddle Hills County does not penalize ratepayers for any delays in a deposit due to issues between your banking institution and ours. Your payment date is the date on which you paid through your financial institution.

My Mortgage Company is paying the property taxes on my behalf, why did I get a tax bill?

The County sends copies of tax bills to property owners, regardless if a mortgage company is paying them or not. When you receive the bill it will state “Do Not Pay - Paid by Mortgage Company”, along with name of your mortgage company. The County will notify your mortgage company of the amounts that need to be paid.

If you do receive a tax bill and your mortgage company is not identified on the bill, contact your mortgage company. In turn, your mortgage company will contact the County and request their interest to be added to the property.