Tax Billing & Collection

2008 Tax Bills

Interim Tax Bill: The 2008 Interim Tax Bills are due in two instalments - February 29, 2008 and April 25, 2008.  Bills mailed - Late January

Final Tax Bill:  The 2008 Final Tax Bills are due:  June 27, 2008 and September 26, 2008.  Bills mailed - Late May

Please be advised that our fee for issuing a Tax Certificate is $65.00

Residents:

• Methods of Payment
• Pre-Authorized Payment Plan
• Property Assessments
• Tax Rates
• Change of Home Ownership
• Penalty/Interest Payments and Returned Cheques
• Finance Department User Fees
• Schedule 2 - Explanation of Tax Changes
• Newly Constructed Homes
• Other Inquiries

Business/Charities:

• Rebate of Property Taxes for Business Vacancies
• Rebate of Property Taxes for Charitable Organizations
• Tax Rates
• Clawback Percentages

How your tax bill is calculated:

There are several steps:

• The province decides how much must be raised for education.
• Durham Regional Council decides how much must be raised to pay for the services it provides.
• Ajax Council decides how much is needed to pay for local municipal services.
• A series of ‘tax rates’ are set for various types of property (residential, commercial, etc.)
• The tax rate is applied to the assessed value of the property to calculate the final tax bill.

To calculate your taxes:

• Assessed Value   x    Tax Rate  =  Total Taxes

For example, if your private home was assessed at $276,000, your tax bill would be:                   

• $276,000    x    1.375935%  =  $3,797.58

Taxes collected by the Town of Ajax are distributed to three areas (figures are approximate):

• 28 per cent to The Town of Ajax to pay for all local municipal services such as road maintenance, parks, recreation services, libraries, fire, planning, etc.
• 53 per cent to Durham Region to pay for regional services such as police, ambulance, recycling, road maintenance, waste collection, transit, etc.
• 19 per cent to The Province of Ontario, specifically for education.

The Region and Province each set their own budgets, while Ajax Council sets the local municipal budget. The total requirements are combined to calculate your tax bill. 

Town of Ajax Portion of Tax Dollars:

Methods of Payment:

There are several options for paying your taxes:

1. PRE-AUTHORIZED PAYMENT (residential only):
   For full details on the monthly pre-authorized payment plan, including an application that can be downloaded, see our payment plan page.
2. At participating banks/trust companies and credit unions (at teller or through bank machine). Please use payment stubs provided with your bill.
3. By telephone or Internet through your bank or trust company.  Your roll number is the account number.  
4. By mail. When mailing a payment, please enclose the payment stub and make your cheque payable to "Town of Ajax." Cheques may be post-dated to the due date of the instalment, and will be held by the Finance Department. Please write your roll number on the front of your cheque.
5. Drop box to the left of the main doors at Town Hall, 65 Harwood Ave. South.
6. In person at the Finance Department at Town Hall, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Interac Direct payment is available.
7. If you pay your taxes with your mortgage company, the mortgage company should be shown on your tax bill along with a mark saying "Do not Pay".  This means we have sent your tax bill information to them for payment.  This tax bill is for your records; you do not have to send a cheque.  If the mortgage company's name does not appear, please contact them immediately.

If you want a receipt, include your entire tax bill when paying by mail. The top portion of the bill is your official receipt - it will be stamped "paid" and mailed back to you. 

Please note: Payment is deemed to be made on the date the cheque is received in the Finance Department, NOT on the date of mailing; late payments are subject to penalty/interest charges

Penalty/Interest Payments and Returned Cheques: 

Penalty/interest charges will be added to instalments not paid by the due date at the rate of 1.25% on the first day of each month. Penalty/interest charges cannot be waived or reduced by the Manager of Taxation or Council.

A $40 administration fee will be charged on cheques returned by our bank.

Tax Section Fees

Schedule 2 - Explanation of Tax Changes:

• This section of your tax bill shows the total change in taxes, year over year, and explains what portion of that change is attributable to municipal and educational purposes.
• The "2007 Schedule 2" contains a print error.  The "Final 2006 Tax Levies" were not included.

       To calculate the year over year change:

1. Final 2007 Levies
2. Less:  Final 2006 Tax Levies - (Note:  For most taxpayers, the 2006 Annualized Taxes are the same as the Final 2006 Levies)
3. Equals Total Year Over Year Change

Change of Home Ownership:

Our responsibility is to forward the tax bill to the property owner on record as of the date the tax bills are issued. Penalty/interest charges will apply on late payments regardless of any change in ownership. When you purchase a home, please check with your lawyer or the tax office to confirm when the next payment is due on your property taxes. You may not receive a notice from us before the next instalment due date, and could incur penalty charges for late payment. The statement of adjustments prepared by the lawyer sets out the tax obligation of both the vendor and the purchaser.

Newly-Constructed Homes:

Owners of newly-constructed homes will receive a tax bill for the value of the vacant lot only, until the home is assessed. After it is assessed, you will receive a supplementary tax bill for taxes on the value of your home. This bill is retroactive to the date that you move into the home. For more information, contact us.

Property Assessments:

Property assessment is the responsibility of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).  To appeal your property taxes or if you have any questions regarding your assessment, please contact MPAC at:
Tel: 1-866-296-6722
Fax: 905-432-1071
You may also look up basic property information and assessed values for other properties of your choice by visiting the MPAC website at www.mpac.ca. Please note, you must have your roll number, which is available on your tax bill. 

Other inquiries:

For further information, please contact staff in the Finance Department at tax@townofajax.com. Please quote your roll number when making inquiries.  

Manager of Taxation - Brenda Van Essen

Tax Tel: 905-683-2718
Fax: 905-683-0157