Chatham-Kent Property Tax: Due Dates, Payment, and Rebates

Chatham-Kent property tax is billed twice a year in four installments, and for 2026 those installments fall on March 2, May 1, August 4, and November 2. What you owe is your MPAC-assessed value multiplied by the combined municipal and education rate for your property class. Miss a date and a 1.25% penalty hits the next day, with the same charge repeating on the first of every month after that.

2026 Due Dates

The municipality sends an interim bill in early spring based on 50% of what you paid the previous year, then a final bill reflecting the current year’s approved rates minus what you already paid.

How Your Bill Is Calculated

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) sets a current value for your property, meaning the price it would likely sell for on the open market. Ontario sorts properties into classes including residential, commercial, industrial, multi-residential, farmland, and managed forests, and each class is taxed differently.2Government of Ontario. Assessment Act, RSO 1990, c A.31

Your bill then combines two rates. The municipal portion is set each year by Chatham-Kent Council through a budget bylaw. The education portion is set by the province and collected by the municipality for the school boards; for 2026 it is 0.153% of assessed value on residential property.3Government of Ontario. O Reg 400/98 – Tax Matters, Rates for School Purposes Residential rates are generally lower than commercial or industrial. The full annual rate schedule is published on the municipal tax rates page.1Chatham-Kent. Tax Calculator, Rates and Due Dates

One quirk worth knowing: MPAC assessments across Ontario are still based on a January 1, 2016 valuation date. The reassessment scheduled for 2020 was postponed, and no new date has been announced as of early 2026, so your assessed value may not track recent market movements.

How to Pay

You need your 15-digit roll number for any payment. It is printed at the top of your tax statement.4Chatham-Kent. Pay Property Taxes

  • Online banking: add Chatham-Kent property taxes as a payee and enter the roll number as the account.
  • Mail: cheque or money order to the Civic Centre.
  • Drop box: secure 24-hour boxes at municipal service centres.
  • Pre-authorized payment: submit the authorization form and a void cheque to the tax department.

Lost your bill? Email ck311@chatham-kent.ca or call 519-360-1998 for a duplicate statement. A fee applies.4Chatham-Kent. Pay Property Taxes

What Happens If You Pay Late

A 1.25% penalty is added to the outstanding balance the day after a missed due date, and the same 1.25% is charged again on the first of every month until the balance is cleared. Across a full year that comes to 15% in charges. Any payment you make is applied to penalties and interest first, then to the tax itself. Not receiving a bill does not excuse the penalty, so if yours never arrives, call the municipality before the due date.1Chatham-Kent. Tax Calculator, Rates and Due Dates

Long-term non-payment escalates. Under the Municipal Act, the municipality can register a tax arrears certificate against the property’s title on January 1 of the second year after the taxes became owing. You then have one year to pay the full cancellation price. If you don’t, the property can be sold at public auction.5Government of Ontario. Municipal Act, 2001 SO 2001 c 25 – Section 373

Supplementary and Omitted Assessments

Build an addition, renovate, or put up a new building and MPAC can issue a supplementary assessment covering the year the work was completed and the following year, which may arrive partway through the year as an extra bill.6Government of Ontario. Assessment Act, RSO 1990, c A.31 – Section 34

If a property was left off the assessment roll altogether, MPAC can go back and assess it for the current year plus the two previous years, and the municipality then levies taxes at the rates that applied in each of those years.7Government of Ontario. Assessment Act, RSO 1990, c A.31 – Section 33 Three years of catch-up taxes in one bill is not a scenario you want to meet unprepared.

Appealing Your Assessment

If you think MPAC has your value or classification wrong, start with a Request for Reconsideration (RfR) filed directly with MPAC. The review is free. For residential, farm, and managed forest properties, an RfR is mandatory before any formal appeal.8Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. How to File a Request for Reconsideration

The deadline is printed on your Property Assessment Notice. Useful evidence includes recent sale prices for comparable properties, photos of the property’s condition, and repair estimates for significant defects. MPAC usually responds within 180 days and can take up to another 60 if needed.

If the RfR outcome doesn’t satisfy you, you have 90 days to appeal to the Assessment Review Board (ARB). Filing fees are $132.50 per roll number for residential, farm, and managed forest properties, or $318 for commercial, industrial, and multi-residential. Online filing takes $10 off.9Tribunals Ontario. ARB Fee Chart

Rebates and Relief Programs

A few programs can reduce the burden for qualifying owners and tenants.10Chatham-Kent. Tax Rebate and Relief Programs

Charity Rebate

Registered charities occupying space in a commercial or industrial property can apply for a rebate equal to 40% of the taxes on the space they occupy. The charity needs a valid CRA registration number. Applications are due to the municipality by February 28 of the year after the tax year, and the rebate must be reapplied for annually.11Municipality of Chatham-Kent. Application for Property Tax Rebate by Registered Charities

Low-Income Seniors and Persons With Disabilities

Low-income seniors and low-income persons with disabilities may qualify for a partial deferral. Eligibility rules and forms are on the municipality’s rebate and relief page. Renewal is annual; last year’s approval does not carry over.