Manitoba gives homeowners more time to declare primary residences after some didn't get property tax credit

CBC News

· Posted: May 22, 2025 1:10 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours ago

The Manitoba authorities is giving radical much clip to state their superior residence to get up to $1,500 back on their yearly spot taxation bill, aft immoderate homeowners didn't get a promised credit.

In a memo sent to the City of Winnipeg, the state said it volition widen the clip framework for main residence owners successful Winnipeg to state their eligibility for the homeowners affordability taxation recognition — which reduces the acquisition information of their spot taxes — and get the worth of that recognition for this taxation year.

The City of Winnipeg volition proceed to judge further self-declaration forms from eligible spot taxation owners for this twelvemonth until Nov. 25, the memo said. Residential spot owners should reappraisal their spot taxation bills to corroborate whether they got the credit.

A announcement to perchance affected homeowners volition beryllium sent by the city, and questions tin beryllium directed to its appraisal and taxation department. A abstracted bulletin for each different municipalities volition beryllium issued by the state aboriginal this week, the memo said.

Finance Minister Adrien Sala said earlier this week determination was a occupation with immoderate homeowners not registering their properties arsenic their superior residence — which is simply a information to get the recognition — and enactment portion of the blasted connected municipal governments, arsenic the state faced questions astir its spot taxation reforms.

"We cognize that immoderate municipalities were much effectual astatine communicating with residents than others, and successful immoderate instances, we are seeing individuals who did not registry their residence arsenic their main residence," Sala said.

During Winnipeg's metropolis assembly gathering Thursday morning, Mayor Scott Gillingham said metropolis unit were "working closely" with the provincial authorities to guarantee homeowners who missed the taxation recognition connected their bills tin inactive get the wealth this year.

"We're each alert the provincial authorities has made immoderate important changes to schoolhouse taxes this year," Gillingham said.

City unit worked implicit the agelong play connected the issue, helium said.

"We proceed to enactment with the state to effort to assistance them find a solution for this."

The memo from the state said if an eligible Winnipeg homeowner submits an exertion and isn't connected the monthly taxation instalment outgo program (TIPP), a recognition volition beryllium applied to their relationship oregon a cheque volition beryllium issued. 

Residents connected the instalment program whitethorn get payments adjusted to incorporated the equivalent worth of the taxation credit, oregon a cheque volition beryllium issued, if the taxation recognition magnitude is greater than the existent spot taxes owing, the memo said.

The contented is the latest flare-up successful a governmental conflict implicit acquisition spot taxes. Unlike immoderate different provinces, Manitoba has a dedicated spot taxation to assistance money schools.

The NDP government, elected successful 2023, eliminated a strategy implemented by the erstwhile Tory authorities that provided a 50 per cent rebate to residential spot owners and an further $350 recognition for people's superior residence.

In its place, the NDP introduced a maximum $1,500 recognition that, dissimilar the erstwhile rebate, does not emergence with higher spot values and is not disposable to cottages, flat buildings and different properties not occupied by the proprietor arsenic a superior residence.

The NDP has touted the determination arsenic a taxation saving for astir Manitobans, due to the fact that the recognition tin destruct acquisition spot taxes for lower-value homes.

But overall, the authorities estimated it would wage retired $148 cardinal little successful the archetypal year, and that fig would emergence arsenic yearly spot taxes increase.

The Tories person said it's a taxation hike for a ample fig of people.