No Tax Penalty for Teck says City of Trail
By City of Trail
The City of Trail has determined that it will not collect the 10% penalty associated with Teck’s second property tax payment that was received by the City on September 1, 2020, one day after the City of Trail’s established current tax payment deadline of August 31, 2020.
Although Trail City Council adopted Bylaw No. 2885 on April 27, 2020 to extend the 2020 property tax payment deadline from July 2, 2020 to August 31, 2020, the province’s Economic Stabilization (COVID-19) Act (established on August 14, 2020) extended the property tax penalty deadline for commercial properties (class 4,5,6,7 and 8) within British Columbia from July 2, 2020 to September 30, 2020.
In this unique circumstance, the provincial act overrides any municipal bylaw pertaining to 2020 commercial property tax deadlines and the associated penalty date. If the province had not passed an act to extend the penalty deadline, the City would have been bound by provincial legislation to proceed with the prescribed 10% penalty, with no exceptions possible.
The City was unaware this particular act had shifted the penalty date forward for the previously mentioned commercial property tax classes. The City has been in communication with its legal counsel and Teck, and we can officially confirm the penalty has been reversed. In addition, there were several other commercial properties impacted and appropriate adjustments have now been made. The City apologies for any confusion, and we thank those who were impacted for their understanding.
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