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Property taxes help fund public services to the more than 10,000 residents living on Westbank First Nation lands.
Tax notices are mailed to residents on the last week in May, along with information on how to understand your tax notices.
Home Owner Grants (HOG's) are valid until December 31, 2023. HOG's will be applied to your account once a payment of the net taxes are received.
Main taxes:
July 4, 2023
Home Owner Grant:
Valid until December 31, 2023
The Westbank First Nation Home Owner Grant program helps to reduce the amount of residential property taxes that homeowners pay on their primary residence. If you qualify for the Home Owner Grant, you must apply by December 31 each year.
WFN may require Proof of Residency and will accept any of the following three pieces of Primary Identification:
There are two categories of Home Owner Grants: Basic and Additional. Qualifications for both are outlined below.
Age 65 or older in the calendar year
Persons with disabilities: The grant is extended to those with a disability or the spouse or relative of a person with a disability who lives in your home.
"Relative" = child, grandchild, brother, sister, grandparent, parent, step-parent, or a person standing in loco parentis.
War Veterans: Recipients of allowances under the War Veterans Allowance Act (WVA) or the Civilian War-related Benefits Act (CWBA).
Please include a copy of a current cheque stub as proof of receipt of the allowance, or a letter from Veterans Affairs Canada confirming that you receive an allowance.
A surviving spouse of a veteran who received a War Veterans Allowance must provide a confirmation letter from Veterans Affairs Canada showing that your deceased spouse received a War Veterans Allowance.
Above $2,125,000 of residential assessed value, the grant will be reduced on a graduated scale. That is, the grant otherwise payable to be reduced by $5 for every $1,000 of residential assessed value in excess of $2,125,000. The Regular Grant is eliminated on homes assessed at $1,764,000 or more and the Additional Grant is eliminated on homes assessed at $1,819,000 or more.
Apply for the Home Owner Grant online or by completing the application attached to your property tax notice and returning to the Westbank First Nation office. If your mortgage provider is paying your property taxes or if you are paying by internet banking, please have the completed Home Owner Grant application in our office by the due date to avoid penalty.
The Home Owner Grant is like a form of payment and if not remitted to our offices before the due date your account will show a balance and be charged a 10% penalty. Home Owner Grants are accepted until December 31. After this date the Home Owner Grant is expired and can't be applied toward your property taxes.
The Home Owner Grant application is located at the bottom of your property tax notice and must be completed each year. Home Owner Grant applications are always applied last to an account.
Example:
Your property taxes for 2023 are $1500 and you qualify for the basic Home Owner Grant which will reduce your taxes by $570.
WFN must first receive payment of $930 ($1500-$570 = $930.00 ). After this payment is processed we will then apply your completed Home Owner Grant application which will deduct the remaining $570 balance.
The Home Owner Grant is like a form of payment and if not remitted to our offices before the due date your account will show a balance and be charged a 10% penalty.
However, if WFN hasn't receive your completed Home Owner Grant your account will still show a $570 balance and on Oct. 1st your account will be charged a penalty of $57 ($570 * 10% = $57.00).
You may pay your property taxes through online banking, by mail, directly at our Government Building, at your bank, or with your mortgage payments. We recommend utilizing online banking due to the convenience and security it provides. Be sure to complete and sign your Home Owner Grant application and submit it by the tax deadline.
*A 10% penalty will be applied to your account on any remaining amount not paid by the due date.
Internet banking
*It may take 2 to 3 business days for WFN to receive your payment via internet banking. Keep this in mind to avoid penalty. Your property taxes are not considered paid until it reaches us. You will need to mail or drop off the Home Owner Grant before the due date to avoid penalty.
We accept Visa or MasterCard in person.
Send payment and completed Home Owner Grant application to:
Westbank First Nation - Taxation 101 - 515 Highway 97 South Kelowna, BC V1Z 3J2
Make cheque payable to Westbank First Nation and include your roll number. Post-dated cheques are accepted.
*Postmark will not be considered as date of payment. Please keep this in mind and send payment by mail early to avoid penalty.
We have a secure drop box located at our main WFN office building outside our first floor entrance.
Accepted payment methods: Cash, cheques, credit cards (Visa or MasterCard), debit, money orders and post-dated cheques.
Make cheques payable to Westbank First Nation.
Cashier hours: Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm.
Bring your tax notice to your local financial institution to make your payment. Westbank First Nation is not responsible for errors made by financial institutions.
*Financial institutions will not accept the Home Owner Grant application. You must mail or drop off the Home Owner Grant directly to Westbank First Nation finance office (first floor of government building) before the due date to avoid penalty.
Property owners can make arrangements with their mortgage provider to have mortgage payments include payment of yearly property taxes. The tax amount owing is then forwarded to Westbank First Nation and processed by the due date. Westbank First Nation is not responsible for errors made by mortgage providers.
*Ensure that your mortgage provider is aware you are claiming the Home Owner Grant (if eligible) each year. You must mail or drop off the Home Owner Grant directly to WFN before the due date to avoid penalty.
2021 Tax Rate Schedule
Specific services provided to Westbank First Nation residents include road and sidewalk maintenance, Fire Rescue, recreation programs, cultural activities, parks and trails, recreation facilities, a Community Centre, a local arena and pool, and transit. A full breakdown is outlined below.
Chief and Council, Advisory Council, Board of Review, General Administration, Financial Services, IT - Information Technology, Human Resources, Legislative Services, Intergovernmental Services, Records Management, and Council Secretariat
Westside Fire Protection, law development, law enforcement, and residential tenancy
Your property tax bill includes amounts that Westbank First Nation collects for itself and other regional and provincial taxing authorities. Westbank First Nation has service agreements with the Regional District of Central Okanagan, City of West Kelowna, Okanagan Regional Library Board, and BC Assessment.
Regional District of Central Okanagan Services:
City of West Kelowna Services:
Westside Fire protection is administered by the City of West Kelowna through a separate agreement from the Local Government Services Agreement. Library Services are provided by Westbank First Nation and the Okanagan Regional Library Board. BC Assessment provides property assessment services.
Economic Development, Planning and Development, Engineering, Public Works, Maintenance Services, and Environmental Health
Parks and ball fields, multi-purpose facility, yoga, boot camp, basketball, floor hockey, fitness, softball, soccer, cultural development, floor hockey, youth sports drop-in, youth works, snowboard team, and children's programs
Examples of past projects have included sidewalks, sport courts, water systems upgrades, parks, roadway paving, trails, and landscaping.
Planning and projects
You can not appeal your property taxes, however you can appeal your assessment value. BC Assessment sends notices the first week in January, and included on those notices are instructions on appealing your property assessment value.
Should you have any questions regarding the new Mobile Home Assessment received from BC Assessment, please contact them at 1-866-825-8322.
Not at this time. However, we are looking into making this option available in the future.
Yes, we accept Visa or MasterCard.
No, we do not offer deferment of property taxes at this time.
Only individuals holding status as a Member of Westbank First Nation are potentially eligible for exemption from property taxes. Please contact our taxation department for further information.
The Home Owner Grant is considered as taxes owing until the grant is processed. This is important to remember to have it completed and remitted to our offices by the due date to avoid penalty.
A 10% penalty is applied to the amount owing after the due date. Any amount you can make before this deadline will help decrease the amount of your penalty. Every $100 you pay saves you $10 in penalties.
No. As per WFN taxation bylaws, we are required to apply a 10% penalty on taxes outstanding.
Yes, assuming you also meet the basic Home Owner Grant qualifications. Be sure to include your birth date on the Home Owner Grant.
Since tax rates are not set until March, you can get a rough estimate by using the previous year tax rate. Equation: (Assessment Value * tax rate)/1000 = estimated