Paying Property Taxes

Learn about options to pay property taxes, tax due dates, rates, and fees.

Due dates

Tax bills are mailed twice per year, and there are four installments. The first interim bill is mailed in late February/early March with two installment due dates:

The first interim levy installment is due by the last business day in March
The second interim levy installment is due by the last business day of May

The final bills are calculated after Council approves the annual operating and capital budgets, sets annual property tax policy, and the province of Ontario sets the education tax rates. They are mailed in early August.

The first final levy installment is due by the last business day in August
The second final levy installment is due by the last business day of October

Payment options

When paying in person, by phone, or online, be sure to have your tax bill on hand. Your property roll number is the 15-digit number on your bill. If 16 digits are required, add a zero at the end. If paying by mail, please include your tax stub.

1. Pre-authorized payment

Save yourself time by setting up a monthly payment plan or automatic withdrawals on tax due dates. A pre-authorized payment plan authorizes Norfolk County to automatically withdraw your property tax payments from your bank account.

There are three (3) different plan types:

On the first (1st) of each month.
On the fifteenth (15th) of each month.
On the regular installment due dates (please see "Due Dates" above)

If you are interested in signing up for a pre-authorized payment plan, please complete the online form.

Sign up for Pre-authorized payment

Change or cancelling your pre-authorized payment

Changes and cancellation requests, including changes to your banking information, must be submitted at least seven (7) business days before the withdrawal date.

Purchasing or selling a property

Plans do not automatically transfer to a new property. You will need to submit a new application for your newly purchased property online.

If you are selling your property, please submit a PAP Cancellation form at least seven business days before your payment date to have your plan cancelled.

Returned payments (NSF)

If your payment was returned due to insufficient funds while you are on a pre-authorized payment plan (PAP), you will receive a letter notifying you that your payment was rejected due to insufficient funds and a fee has been added to your property tax account. See current user fees.

If you do not pay the missed payment, your PAP plan will be recalculated to include it and any penalty. Plans are recalculated at the beginning of each calendar year and after the final bills are sent in August.

After three rejected PAP payments within 12 months, your participation in the plan will be discontinued.

Owners who participate in a Pre-authorized Payment Plan (PAP) will receive an interim and final tax bill to retain for your records. If you participate in the installment plan, the bill provides the withdrawal amounts on each due date.

2. At your bank

Pay in person at most financial institutions, or a Canadian ATM Machine. Please make sure you take your complete tax bill with you.

Or pay online or using telephone banking. The payee is Norfolk County Taxes, the property roll number is the account number, and add a 0 on the end if 16 digits are required.

3. In-person at ServiceNorfolk

Pay at a ServiceNorfolk Customer Service Desk in Simcoe or Delhi by cash, cheque, or debit. Post-dated cheques may not be accepted. Credit cards are accepted. A 3% administration fee will apply to all credit card payments for property taxes.

4. By mail

If a receipt is required, please enclose your complete tax bill and a self-addressed stamped envelope. A receipt will be returned to you.

Post-dated cheques may not be accepted. Mail the cheque and your tax stub to:

Norfolk County
County Administration Building
50 Colborne St. South
Simcoe, ON N3Y 4H3

5. Online with a credit card

Through Virtual County Hall. A 3% administration fee will apply to all credit card payments for property taxes. You will need your Norfolk County Customer Number. Contact us if you require assistance at 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 1666.

6. At a drop box

Drop boxes are located at County Administration Buildings and Norfolk County Public Library branches in the book return outside the library. Tax payments, including tax bill payment stubs, must be placed in a sealed envelope marked “Norfolk County Taxes.”

How payments are applied

Payments are applied in a manner prescribed by the Municipal Act.

First, payments are applied to the oldest amounts outstanding, beginning with any/all penalty and interest outstanding on the account.
Then, payment amounts are applied to any outstanding fees or charges that may have been added to the account, such as unpaid accounts receivable balances or water and wastewater arrears.
Lastly, payments are applied to any outstanding tax amounts on the account from oldest to newest.

Late payments

Late payments will result in a penalty and interest charge of 1.25% per month, applicable the first day past due. This charge is applied for the entire month and cannot be waived or cancelled.

Penalties and interest

According to the Municipal Act, penalties are applied on the amount of taxes due and unpaid on the first day of default. Interest is applied on the first of each month for the amount of due and unpaid taxes until the taxes are paid.

More about penalties and interest

Late payments will result in a penalty and interest charge of 1.25% of the outstanding taxes or fees the first day past the due date. This charge applies for the entire month. Interest will be charged at the same rate on tax arrears on the first day of each calendar month following the late payment.

Interest is not applied to penalty and interest charges.

The Municipal Act authorizes the Municipality to recover unpaid property taxes through the sale of properties in arrears.

Properties with two or more years of arrears will be eligible for tax sale registration. Significant fees apply to this process, and all interested parties, including mortgage companies and financial institutions, will be notified. If the tax lien registration is not addressed, the property can be sold, and the municipality will recover the outstanding tax amounts from the sale proceeds.

Before the property has a Tax Arrears Certificate (lien) registered, the County attempts to contact the property owner to arrange collection of the outstanding arrears (the onus is on the property owner to ensure the County has the correct mailing address for taxes). If the property owner does not respond to the initial contact, registration of the tax lien will proceed, which could lead to the sale of the property.

If you have received a letter with regard to property tax arrears and potential registration for tax sale, please get in touch with the Corporate Collection Clerk at 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 1274 to make arrangements to pay your outstanding property taxes.

Penalty and Interest charges cannot be waived.

Name, address, and ownership changes

Name changes

To change a name on a tax bill contact a lawyer about registering a new deed with the name change. Our records must match what is registered at the land registry office or information provided to us by the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC).

Mailing address change

If you need to change your mailing address, please complete the mailing Address Change Form.

Deceased person

Removing a name or changing ownership is facilitated through a law firm.
The municipal records must match the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s (MPAC) records, and this information comes from the provincial land registry.
If one owner of a jointly owned property has passed away, a lawyer will prepare a survivorship application to register the change with the land registry office. The County will update its records upon notification from MPAC or receipt of a copy of the registered document.

Ownership changes

Norfolk County does not determine property ownership. The municipality makes ownership changes utilizing information from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) based on updates made by the Land Registry office. This process can take a few weeks for information to be received and updated by County Staff.

If you do not receive an update within two months of your ownership change, please get in touch with Revenue and Tax Services at 519-426-5870 or 226-NORFOLK, extension 1666, to inquire about the status of your change of ownership.

Ownership changes will not be made based only on a lawyer’s letter.

Land severances (or Consents)

Land severances (or Consents) are the authorized separations of portions of land to create a new lot(s) or parcel of land.

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) must assign a new roll and new assessment values to the new parcels. When a new parcel of land is created, MPAC requires an apportionment to redistribute the assessment value between the existing and new parcels.

The assessment of the new separate parcels may not reflect the total value of the parcel before severance. MPAC can take some time to process the apportionment.

Until MPAC provides the information to the municipality and the tax accounts are updated, you will need to continue making payments as they are billed.

Once the information has been received and processed, you will receive notice of your final bill or credit. Please note that Norfolk County does not process part-year severances.

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