Lethbridge property tax is due in full by June 30 each year, and it is calculated by multiplying your property’s assessed value by the combined mill rate set annually by city council and the province. For 2026, the municipal mill rate for single-family residential properties is 7.7495 per $1,000 of assessed value, and the average single-family assessment rose roughly 8% over the previous year.1City of Lethbridge. Estimate Your Property Taxes Miss the deadline and a flat seven percent penalty hits your balance on July 1.2City of Lethbridge. 2026 Property Tax Notices Being Mailed Out This Week
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Your tax amount equals your property’s assessed value multiplied by the mill rate, then divided by 1,000. The City Assessor estimates what your property would have sold for on the open market as of July 1 of the previous year, so the 2026 tax year uses July 1, 2025 market values.3City of Lethbridge. Property Assessments
For 2026, the municipal mill rate is 7.7495 for single-family residential properties and 12.5626 for multi-family buildings with four or more units.1City of Lethbridge. Estimate Your Property Taxes Education and Green Acres rates are added on top to produce the total mill rate applied to your assessment.
A worked example: if your single-family home is assessed at $350,000 and the combined total mill rate comes to roughly 11.5, your annual tax works out to about $4,025. The city’s online tax estimator lets you plug in your own assessed value and see the breakdown.
What’s On the Bill
The largest share is the municipal portion, which funds city services such as police, fire, roads, and parks. City council controls this rate directly through the annual budget.4City of Lethbridge. Property Taxes
A second charge is the provincial education property tax. The Government of Alberta sets Lethbridge’s share, and the city collects it on the province’s behalf.5Alberta.ca. Education Property Tax Facts and Information A third charge supports the Green Acres Foundation, which operates senior housing in southern Alberta and sets its own rate.4City of Lethbridge. Property Taxes
Some properties also carry local improvement charges when a neighbourhood receives upgrades like sidewalk replacement, street paving, or utility extensions. The cost is shared among the properties that benefit.6City of Lethbridge. Local Improvements
How to Pay
You have three main ways to pay, and whichever you choose, the funds must clear by June 30:
- Online banking. Add the City of Lethbridge as a payee through your bank and use your roll number as the account identifier.
- Mail. Send a cheque to the municipal office with your roll number written on it.
- In person. Pay at city hall by cash, cheque, or debit.
Your roll number appears on your Property Tax Notice and your Assessment Notice.
Spreading Payments With TIPP
The Tax Instalment Pre-payment Plan (TIPP) replaces the June lump sum with 10 equal monthly withdrawals from your bank account on the first of each month, running August through May. Enrolment comes with a council-approved annual prepayment incentive credited toward your taxes.7City of Lethbridge. Tax Instalment Pre-payment Plan (TIPP)
To be eligible, your current-year taxes must be paid in full by the June deadline, and you must be the registered owner on title. You will need your roll number and access code to apply online. A balancing payment is withdrawn automatically on the last business day of June to reconcile any difference between your monthly instalments and the final tax amount.8City of Lethbridge. Paying Property Taxes
What Happens If You Pay Late
A flat seven percent penalty is added to any unpaid balance on July 1.2City of Lethbridge. 2026 Property Tax Notices Being Mailed Out This Week An additional one percent penalty is then applied on the first of each month from August through December.8City of Lethbridge. Paying Property Taxes
Beyond the penalties, the city prepares a list each year by March 31 of all properties with tax arrears exceeding one year. Owners are notified of the total owing, and a tax recovery notification is filed with the Land Titles Registrar. The registration cost is added to the tax account. If the debt is still not resolved, the property can be offered at a public tax auction, typically in the spring, advertised in the Alberta Gazette and a local newspaper. Paying all arrears, penalties, and costs in full before the auction date cancels the sale.9City of Lethbridge. Tax Recovery Information Brochure
Disputing Your Assessment
If you think the assessed value on your notice is too high, you have 60 days from the date on the notice to file a formal complaint with the Assessment Review Board.3City of Lethbridge. Property Assessments Assessment notices for 2026 are typically mailed in January, so the window closes in the spring. Before filing, it is worth calling 311 to discuss the assessment informally; many concerns are resolved without a formal hearing.
Filing requires a separate complaint form and fee for each property. As of the most recent published schedule, the fee is $50 for a single-family or vacant residential property and $650 for multi-family residential buildings with four or more dwellings. The fee is payable in full at filing by cash, cheque, or debit, and is refunded if you withdraw at least three business days before the hearing.10City of Lethbridge. The Assessment Complaint Process
At the hearing, the burden is on you to show that the assessed value does not reflect what your property would have sold for on the open market as of July 1 of the prior year. Comparable sales data from your neighbourhood is the strongest evidence. The board’s decision is binding unless appealed to the Court of King’s Bench.
Deferral Option for Seniors
Alberta’s Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program lets eligible homeowners defer all or part of their property taxes as a low-interest loan from the province. At least one spouse or partner must be 65 or older, you must have lived in Alberta for at least three months, the home must be your primary residence, and you must hold at least 25% equity.11Alberta.ca. Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program
The deferred amount is registered against the title and repaid when you sell, move out, or pass away. Interest accrues on the balance. The program does not reduce what you owe; it postpones it. For current interest rates and to apply, contact 311 or visit the provincial program page.