The Home Owner Grant is a provincial program that helps reduce the amount of residential property tax you pay.
If you are eligible for the grant, the Province of BC reduces your taxes by the amount of the grant.
You must apply for your Home Owner Grant each year (by the July due date of your main property tax bill) in order to avoid penalties.
You still need to claim your grant if you are paying your taxes through your mortgage, the Tax Instalment Pre-payment Plan, or through tax deferment. Even if you cannot pay the balance of your taxes for any reason, you may still submit a grant by itself in order to receive its benefit.
On the Province of BC’s website:
- Learn more about the Home Owner Grant
- Read the explanatory notes on the Home Owner Grant and eligibility
Apply for the grant correctly to avoid unnecessary penalties
If you qualify for the grant, but do not complete the application correctly and completely, your grant can not be processed and the City will not receive the grant money from the provincial government.
Your property tax account will show an unpaid amount, and you will be charged a 5% penalty on the outstanding property tax balance. As well, if there is still a balance owing on 1 January of the following year, then daily interest will also be charged.
How to claim your home owner grant
To claim your home owner grant, you can:
- Claim your grant online
- Take your grant to your financial institution
- Check that your bank will forward your home owner grant to us. Some banks do not accept home owner grants, or do not forward the grants to the City.
- Mail your claim to Revenue Services
- Bring your claim in person to the Revenue Services desk
- Fax your claim to Revenue Services
Sending your grant by the due date is not enough – the Tax Office must receive your grant by the due date.
Managing your home owner grant claim
Claim your electronic home owner grant (eHOG)
When you claim your home owner grant online, we receive your claim immediately. Learn more about the electronic home owner grant (eHog).
Find out if you’re eligible for a home owner grant – basic or additional – which reduces the amount of property tax you owe to the City of Vancouver.
You need your access code in order to claim your Home Owner Grant online. Find out how to get your access code.
The Province allows certain property owners to apply for a missed home owner grant from the prior year.
Home owner grant and penalties
Did you know that you must re-affirm that you are entitled to claim a home owner grant for the current year, even if you successfully claimed it last year? Learn about common mistakes that result in penalties when claiming your home owner grant.
Co-op housing home owner grants
If you own a share in a co-op, you have to claim your home owner grant and pay your property tax – but the home owner grant form is completed jointly by the members of the co-op
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