Brantford property tax is billed twice a year: an interim bill in February with installments due February 27 and April 29, 2026, and a final bill in June with installments due June 30 and September 15, 2026. What you owe is your property’s MPAC-assessed value multiplied by the combined municipal and provincial education tax rates. Miss a due date and the city adds 1.25% that day, plus another 1.25% on the first of every month until you catch up.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Two numbers determine your tax: an assessed value and a tax rate. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), an independent provincial agency, assigns the assessed value based on factors like location, lot size, living area, age, and condition, estimating what the property would have sold for on a set valuation date.
Two rates then apply to that value. Brantford’s city council sets the municipal rate each year through its budget to fund local services such as police, transit, parks, and infrastructure. The province sets the education rate, which pays into Ontario’s school system; for 2026 the residential education rate is 0.153%.1Ontario.ca. O. Reg. 400/98 – Tax Matters – Rates for School Purposes The city collects both portions on one bill. Assessed value multiplied by the combined rate gives your annual tax.
2026 Due Dates
Your annual tax comes in two bills, each split into two installments.2City of Brantford. Taxes
The interim bill, mailed in February, covers the first half of the year. Under Ontario’s Municipal Act, interim charges cannot exceed 50% of the previous year’s total taxes, so this bill is essentially half of what you paid last year. The 2026 interim installments are due Friday, February 27 and Wednesday, April 29.3City of Brantford. Taxes Due on Friday, February 27, 2026
The final bill arrives after council approves the annual budget and sets the current year’s municipal rate. It reflects the actual full-year total, less what you already paid on the interim bill. The 2026 final installments are due Tuesday, June 30 and Tuesday, September 15.2City of Brantford. Taxes
Not receiving a bill does not excuse a late payment. If you are on a monthly pre-authorized plan or your taxes are paid through a mortgage company, no interim bill goes out at all. If a bill you expected does not arrive, call the Property Tax Office at 519-759-4150.
How to Pay
Every payment method asks for your 19-digit property tax roll number, printed on your bill in the format XXXX-XXX-XXX-XXXXX-XXXX.4City of Brantford. Request for Copy of Tax Bill or Tax Account Statement Enter it without spaces or dashes for online payments.
- Pre-authorized payment plans. Three options are available: an installment plan that withdraws four payments matching the due dates; a 12-month plan that spreads payments evenly on the 1st or 15th of each month (your account must be current to enroll); and a self-directed plan that processes a monthly amount you choose on the last banking day of the month, which also works if you have an overdue balance.5City of Brantford. Preauthorized Payments
- Through your bank. Online banking, telephone banking, ATM, or in person. Search the City of Brantford as a payee and use your roll number as the account number.
- In person at City Hall, 58 Dalhousie Street, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed statutory holidays.
- Drop box. The after-hours drop box is at the Queen Street entrance of City Hall at the top of the accessibility ramp. Post-dated cheques with payment stubs for both installments are accepted. No cash.3City of Brantford. Taxes Due on Friday, February 27, 2026
- Through your mortgage lender. If your mortgage company pays your taxes, forward any bill you receive to them promptly.
What Happens If You Pay Late
The city charges a 1.25% penalty the day you miss a due date, then adds another 1.25% on the first of each following month until the full balance clears. Council and staff have no authority to waive or reduce these charges, so a phone call will not help.2City of Brantford. Taxes
If taxes stay unpaid for two years, the property becomes eligible for a tax sale. The city can register a tax arrears certificate under the Municipal Act and ultimately sell the property by public tender to recover what it is owed, and the owner is also charged the city’s legal fees and the cost of every notice sent during the process.6City of Brantford. Sale of Land for Tax Arrears by Public Tender
If Your Assessment Looks Too High
There are two steps, and you must take the first before you can take the second.
File a Request for Reconsideration With MPAC
A Request for Reconsideration goes directly to MPAC through the AboutMyProperty portal and is free. You will need the roll number and access key printed on your Property Assessment Notice. The deadline for the 2026 tax year is March 31, 2026. MPAC reviews your submission and may adjust the value if its data was wrong or if comparable properties support a lower number.
Appeal to the Assessment Review Board
If MPAC’s answer does not resolve it, you can file a formal appeal with the Assessment Review Board, an independent tribunal. The fee is $132.50 per roll number, with a $10 discount for e-filing.7Tribunals Ontario. ARB Fee Chart At the hearing you can present evidence such as recent comparable sales, an independent appraisal, or documentation of defects MPAC overlooked. A successful appeal reduces your assessed value and your future tax bills.
Relief and Deferral Programs
Three programs offer help if you qualify. None is automatic; each needs an application with supporting documents.
Low-Income Seniors
Owners aged 65 or older who receive Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System (GAINS) benefits may apply to defer a portion of their annual tax increase. GAINS is a monthly payment for Ontario seniors on federal Old Age Security and the Guaranteed Income Supplement, with a private income ceiling of $4,320 for a single senior or $8,640 for a couple.8Ontario.ca. Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System Payments for Seniors The deferral postpones the increase rather than erasing the tax.9City of Brantford. Application for Deferral of Taxes
Low-Income Persons With Disabilities
Owners (or their spouses) who receive Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) benefits can apply for the same type of deferral. You will need proof of ODSP eligibility and property ownership.9City of Brantford. Application for Deferral of Taxes
Registered Charities
Registered charities occupying commercial or industrial property can apply for a rebate of 40% of the property taxes on the space they occupy. The rebate is not available for property in the residential tax class. Applications must reach City Hall by the last day of February following the taxation year, so 2025 taxes require an application by the end of February 2026. You will need your federal charitable registration number and documentation showing occupancy.10City of Brantford. Property Tax Rebate Application for Registered Charities in Commercial or Industrial Class Properties