Property Tax Discounts and Penalties
Property Taxes are due October 1 annually.
Payments are accepted at any time (subject to penalties). The effective date of payments mailed to Foothills County will be the date of the postmark of Canada Post. If the postmark of Canada Post is absent or illegible, the effective date of payment will be the actual date of receipt by Foothills County. The imprint of a postage meter is not acceptable as proof of the mailing date. Postdated cheques are acceptable
Taxes May Be Paid
- Through Virtual County Hall by credit card (surcharge added) or Visa or Mastercard debit card.
- By Online or Telephone banking – Search “Foothills” and look for “Taxes”. The 10 digit Roll number on the Combined Assessment & Tax Notice is the account number. Foothills County cannot accept e-Transfers.
- By Mail - Please enclose the remittance portion of the Notice with your payment. Post-dated cheques are acceptable. The Canada Post postmark will be honored as the date of payment. If the Canada Post postmark is absent or illegible, the effective date of payment will be the actual date of receipt by Foothills County. A postage meter imprint is not proof of the mailing date.
- At most Financial Institutions in Canada. Make sure your receipt shows that payment was made to Foothills County.
- In person at Foothills County Administration Building, 309 Macleod Trail, High River AB. We accept credit card payments through Virtual County Hall only. Credit cards will not be accepted at the office.
- In person after hours through the mail slot located by the front door of Foothills County Administration Building, 309 Macleod Trail, High River AB - cheques only please.
- Pre-Authorized Payments – sign up through Virtual County Hall or Tax Installment Payment Plan.
Late Payment Penalties
Property taxes are due October 1st of each year. A penalty of six percent (6%) will be levied on any outstanding current taxes on October 2nd of each year.
A penalty of twelve percent (12%) will be levied on all outstanding taxes on January 1st of each year.
Cheques not honoured by your bank are subject to penalty and administration charges.
*NEW - Property tax late penalty reimbursement
Municipalities send out property assessment and municipal tax notices annually to registered property owners. Due to ongoing delays with Land Titles document registration processing times, recent ownership and mailing address changes may not be reflected on municipal property tax notices. Albertans who recently purchased a property may not have received a tax notice from their municipality.
If you recently purchased a property, did not receive a tax notification from your municipality, and paid a late payment penalty due to non-payment, you may be eligible for reimbursement of your late payment penalty from the Government of Alberta.
If you have incurred a late payment penalty and qualify for reimbursement, you are still responsible for ensuring your outstanding property taxes are paid in full. The Government of Alberta will not reimburse additional late penalties incurred for non-payment.
Discounts for Early Payment of Taxes
Pre-pay your property taxes and receive the following discounts if paid:
Before January 31 you will receive 6%
Your pre-payment estimate is equal to last year's taxes minus the 6% discount. If there has been a change in your property (i.e. Subdivision, sale of land, new construction, etc.) contact the Tax Department and we will provide an estimate. When the current years' taxes are known, the discount is calculated and the pre-payment deducted. Your tax notice will show the full levy, the discount, and the prepayment as a credit previous balance. If there is a difference between estimated and actual taxes, the balance will be reported on the Tax Notice. Credit balances (the amount due will be shown in brackets) will be refunded or carried forward to the next tax year, at the discretion of the ratepayer. If the amount paid was less than the actual tax levy, the balance owing is due on or before October 1st. Pre-Payments cannot be made through Virtual County Hall.
Discounts for monthly Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP)
TIPP participants are eligible for Tax Discounts as follows:
Enrollment in the program before January 31, receive 5% discount