Property Tax Deferment Eligibility Checker

A second free tool: check whether you likely qualify for BC's property tax deferment program, understand what it actually costs, and apply directly through the government's own portal if it makes sense for you.

Free, no obligation Nothing collected — runs in your browser Not affiliated with the Province of BC

Eligibility check

Answer a few questions about your situation. This runs entirely in your browser — nothing you enter here is sent or stored anywhere.

Which of these applies to you?

Do you financially support a dependent child?

Under 18 and living with you (full or part-time, or you pay child support), or a child of any age who has a disability designation or attends a post-secondary institution.

Yes No

Have you lived in B.C. for at least one year? Yes No

Do you owe any unpaid property taxes, utility fees, penalties, or interest from previous years? Yes No

Have you already paid this year's property taxes in full? Yes No

Roughly how much equity do you have in the property?

Equity = (BC Assessment value − everything registered against the property, mortgages, lines of credit, etc.) ÷ BC Assessment value.

How deferment actually works

The two BC deferment programs, what they require, and what they cost.

The two programs

Regular Program: for homeowners who are 55 or older, a surviving spouse of any age, or a person with disabilities. There's a $60 one-time application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee. Minimum equity required: 25% of your property's assessed value, and you have to maintain that equity while deferring.

Families with Children Program: for homeowners financially supporting a dependent child under 18, or an adult child with a disability, or one attending a post-secondary institution. No application or renewal fees. Minimum equity required: 15% of your property's assessed value, also maintained throughout the deferment.

Both programs also require at least one year of B.C. residency before applying, and both require that all previous years' property taxes, utility fees, penalties, and interest are already paid. Deferment only applies to the current year's taxes.

The interest, and why 2026 changed the math

Deferred taxes accrue interest until repaid. For tax years 2025 and earlier, that interest was simple and the two programs had different rates (Regular ran two points below prime; Families with Children ran at prime). Starting with the 2026 tax year, both programs charge compound interest at prime plus 2%, currently 6.45%, compounding monthly rather than once. In practice, that means interest is charged on interest that's already accrued, so a deferred balance grows faster over time than it would have under the old rules. Taxes deferred in 2025 or earlier keep the old simple-interest terms; only 2026-and-later deferrals are affected.

What happens when you sell or transfer

The full deferred amount, plus all interest that's accumulated, becomes due at that point. Until then, the province registers a restrictive lien against your property's title, which can come up if you try to refinance or take out a new line of credit while taxes are deferred.

Should you defer?

That depends on your own finances and plans, not something a generic tool can answer for you. The trade-off is real in both directions: deferring frees up cash today, but the bill you eventually owe grows every year it's outstanding, faster now than under the pre-2026 rules. If you're weighing it, the government's own program page and a look at your own long-term plans for the property are the right starting points.

Apply on the official gov.bc.ca portal →

This is a free educational tool, not financial or legal advice, and not part of any government program. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Property Tax Deferment Program or the Government of British Columbia. This eligibility check is a general estimate based on the answers you enter. Applications and final eligibility decisions are made by the Province of BC. Nothing you enter on this page is collected, stored, or sent anywhere.