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B.C. lowers limit to claim $570 home tax grant

A decline in housing prices has prompted the government to lower the threshold to qualify
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THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graeme Roy

The threshold is being lowered for B.C. homeowners who qualify for a grant to help offset property taxes.

The province says a decline in housing prices has prompted the threshold to be set at $1.525 million for 2020, down from $1.65 million in 2019.

The Finance Ministry says 92 per cent of homeowners will be eligible for the full $570 grant in 2020, the same as last year.

BC Assessment said Thursday there was an 11-per-cent annual decline in the typical value of single-family homes in Vancouver, with the average assessment standing at $1.57 million as of July 1, 2019.

Residents whose homes are over the $1.525 million threshold are still able to claim some of the grant, which is reduced by $5 for every $1,000 of assessed value above the threshold.

Those 65 and older living in northern and rural areas can claim as much as $1,045 off their annual tax bill.

Homeowners may also be eligible for property tax deferment if they are 55 years or older or are financially supporting a child.

The Canadian Press

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