New Toronto Vacant Home Tax

Beginning 2023, an annual tax will be imposed on vacant homes in Toronto.

A property is considered vacant if it was not used by the principal residence owner(s), or any permitted occupant(s), or was unoccupied for a total of six months or more during the previous calendar year.

Mandatory declaration
All residential property owners in Toronto will be required to declare the occupancy status of their property(s) annually, even if they live there. Declaration must be made by the homeowner and the declaration will determine whether the Vacant Home Tax applies and is payable.

Residential properties will be deemed vacant if the owner fails to make the annual declaration by the deadline and/or provide supporting documentation.

Please visit City of Toronto’s portal to declare your property’s occupancy status.

Declaration submission deadline is February 28.

How is vacant home tax calculated?
A Vacant Home Tax of one per cent of the Current Value Assessment (CVA) will be imposed on all Toronto residences that are declared, deemed or determined vacant for more than six months during the previous year.

For example, if the CVA of your property is $1,000,000, the tax amount billed would be $10,000 (1% x $1,000,000). The tax is based on the property’s occupancy status for the previous year. For example, if the home is vacant in 2022 the tax will become payable in 2023.

Owners of properties subject to the tax will be issued a Vacant Home Tax Notice in March/April and payment will be due on May 1.

For more information about the Vacant Home Tax and details on how to complete the declaration, please visit here.

 

This article is intended for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.  Income tax law and regulation change frequently and the content on this article may no longer reflect the current state of the law. If you have any specific questions, you should consult a professional services advisor or email us for further advice.