Is a property tax assessment appeal worth it?
An appeal pays off when the tax saved beats the fee and your time. The saving is the reduction × your tax rate: $40,000 off an assessment at a 0.9% rate saves $360 a year. First-step fees range from free (Ontario's Request for Reconsideration, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick) to $50 in Calgary and $90 in Montréal, and deadlines run from 30 days to a fixed date.
Is a property tax assessment appeal worth it?
What a lower assessment would save in tax, against the fee, with the deadline for your province.
- Request for Reconsideration (RfR) fee
- Free
- Net over 1 year
- $360
- First deadline
- March 31 of the tax year for the annual notice (the date printed on your notice); 120 days from the notice for other notices
Estimate, not advice. Educational estimate only, not financial, mortgage, tax or legal advice. Lenders, insurers and governments set their own rules and can change them; confirm with a licensed professional before you decide.
Saving about $360 a year; first-step fee $0; Ontario deadline: March 31 of the tax year for the annual notice (the date printed on your notice); 120 days from the notice for other notices.
| Step | Deadline | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Request for Reconsideration (RfR) MPAC | March 31 of the tax year for the annual notice (the date printed on your notice); 120 days from the notice for other notices | Free |
| Appeal to the Assessment Review Board (ARB) Tribunals Ontario | 90 days from the mailing date of MPAC's RfR decision | $132.50 per residential appeal |
Assumptions & sources
Assumptions
- Saving = (assessed − your value) × tax rate. Phase-ins (Ontario) and tax-rate changes alter the real figure.
- Deadlines and fees from Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and the appeal bodies, checked November 1, 2026. The date on your own notice always wins.
Sources
- MPAC — Notices and notifications (2026 valuation date). Checked .
- MPAC — Request for Reconsideration. Checked .
- Tribunals Ontario — Assessment Review Board FAQ (deadlines, $132.50 fee) (effective October 28, 2026). Checked .
- Town of LaSalle — Property assessments (2026 postponement). Checked .
How this tool works
Pick your province, enter the assessed value and what you believe it should be as of the valuation date (not today), and your tax rate. The tool multiplies the reduction by the rate, subtracts the first-step fee, and shows the deadline: either a fixed date (BC's January 31, Montréal's May 1) or a count of days from your notice (New Brunswick 30, Nova Scotia 31, Newfoundland and Labrador 60).
The strongest evidence is sales of similar homes around the valuation date and similar homes' assessments. Each province page has the details: start at assessment appeals by province.
Frequently asked questions
Does a lower assessment lower my property tax?
Usually, but not always one-for-one: municipalities set rates to raise their budget across all properties, so what matters is your assessment relative to others. A correction that brings you in line with similar homes lowers your share.
Does my assessment affect what I can borrow?
Not directly. Lenders lend on an appraisal (or sometimes an AVM), not the municipal assessment.
Primary sources
- Financial Consumer Agency of Canada — Borrowing money using home equity (effective October 15, 2025). Checked .