Property Taxes

Property taxes provide the Municipality with the funds required to deliver many day-to-day services and programs. Your property taxes are determined by multiplying the current value or "assessment" of your property by the annual tax rate for the property type or "property class". The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) has created a helpful video to explain how property tax is calculated. 

To learn more about the assessment process, please see our property assessments page. 

Bluewater issues two tax bills annually. Each billing is split into two installment due dates. The interim tax bill due dates are February 28th and May 31st. The interim tax bill is based on 50% of the prior year's taxes. Interim tax bills are mailed out in early February.  

The final tax bill due dates are September 29th and November 30th. Final tax bills are mailed out in early September. Final taxes are calculated using your property assessment multiplied by the applicable tax rate for the class of property as shown on the tax billing, less what was levied on the interim billing.

There are a variety of payment options available. 

Tax rates

Tax rates are adopted by by-law. To request a copy of current or past-years' by-laws, please contact the tax clerk. 

This table shows the 2023 tax rates for residential, new multi-residential and multi-residential properties.

Category Lower general OPP special levy Upper general Education Education payment in lieu of taxes
Residential occupied 0.00409275 0.00079561 0.00500913 0.00153000 Not applicable
Residential FAD Phase 1 0.00102319 0.00019890 0.00125228 0.00038250 Not applicable
New multi-residential occupied 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00153000  Not applicable
Multi-residential occupied 0.0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00153000 Not applicable

This table shows the residential tax rates for street lights.

Street Light System Residential-Occupied Residential-FAD Phase 1 New multi-residential-occupied Multi-residential-occupied
Bachand 0.00032748 0.00008187 0.00036023 0.00036023
Bayfield 0.00017103 0.00004276 0.00018813 0.00018813
Bayview 0.00011420 0.00002855 0.00012562 0.00012562
Brucefield 0.00102203 0.00025551 0.00112423 0.00112423
Dashwood 0.00057158 0.00014290 0.00062874 0.00062874
Dinsley Terrace 0.00021123 0.00005281 0.00023235 0.00023235
Harris 0.00030452 0.00007613 0.00033497 0.00033497
Hensall 0.00027951 0.00006988 0.00030746 0.00030746
Kippen 0.00112909 0.00028227 0.00124200 0.00124200
Lakewood 0.00017451 0.00004363 0.00019196 0.00019196
Varna 0.00031205 0.00007801 0.00034326 0.00034326
Zurich 0.00039694 0.00009924 0.00043663 0.00043663

This table shows the 2023 tax rates for different categories of commercial properties.

Category Lower general OPP special levy Upper general Education Education payment in lieu of taxes
Occupied 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00880000 0.00980000
Excess land 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.008800000 0.00980000
Vacant land 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00880000 0.00980000
On-farm business 1 0.00112551 0.00021879 0.00137751 0.00220000 Not applicable
On-farm business 2 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00220000 Not applicable

This table shows the commercial tax rates for street lights.

Street Light System Occupied Excess land Vacant land On-farm business 1 On-farm business 2
Bachand 0.00036023 0.00036023 0.00036023 0.00009006 0.00036023
Bayfield 0.00018813 0.00018813 0.00018813 0.00004703 0.00018813
Bayview 0.00012562 0.00012562 0.00012562 0.00003141 0.00012562
Brucefield 0.00112423 0.00112423 0.00112423 0.00028106 0.00112423
Dashwood 0.00062874 0.00062874 0.00062874 0.00015718 0.00062874
Dinsley Terrace 0.00023235 0.00023235 0.00023235 0.00005809 0.00023235
Harris 0.00033497 0.00033497 0.00033497 0.00008374 0.00033497
Hensall 0.00030746 0.00030746 0.00030746 0.00007687 0.00030746
Kippen 0.00124200 0.00124200 0.00124200 0.00031050 0.00124200
Lakewood 0.00019196 0.00019196 0.00019196 0.00004799 0.00019196
Varna 0.00034326 0.00034326 0.00034326 0.00008581 0.00034326
Zurich 0.00043663 0.00043663 0.00043663 0.00010916 0.00043663

 

This table shows the 2023 tax rates for different categories of industrial properties.

Category Lower general OPP special levy Upper general Education Education payment in lieu of taxes
Occupied 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00880000 0.00980000
Excess land 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00880000 0.00980000
Vacant land 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00880000 0.00980000
On-farm business 1 0.00112551 0.00021879 0.00137751 0.00220000 Not applicable
On-farm business 2 0.00450203 0.0087517 0.00551004 0.00220000 Not applicable
FAD phase 1 0.00409275 0.00079561 0.00125228 0.00038250 0.00038250

This table shows the industrial tax rates for street lights.

Street Light System Occupied Excess land Vacant land On-farm business 1 On-farm business 2 FAD phase 1
Bachand 0.00036023 0.00036023 0.00036023 0.00009006 0.00036023 0.00032748
Bayfield 0.00018813 0.00018813 0.00018813 0.00004703 0.00018813 0.00017103
Bayview 0.00012562 0.00012562 0.00012562 0.00003141 0.00012562 0.00011420
Brucefield 0.00112423 0.00112423 0.00112423 0.00028106 0.00112423 0.00102203
Dashwood 0.00062874 0.00062874 0.00062874 0.00015718 0.00062874 0.00057158
Dinsley Terrace 0.00023235 0.00023235 0.00023235 0.00005809 0.00023235 0.00021123
Harris 0.00033497 0.00033497 0.00033497 0.00008374 0.00033497 0.00030452
Hensall 0.00030746 0.00030746 0.00030746 0.00007687 0.00030746 0.00027951
Kippen 0.00124200 0.00124200 0.00124200 0.00031050 0.00124200 0.00112909
Lakewood 0.00019196 0.00019196 0.00019196 0.00004799 0.00019196 0.00017451
Varna 0.00034326 0.00034326 0.00034326 0.00008581 0.00034326 0.00031205
Zurich 0.00043663 0.00043663 0.00043663 0.00010916 0.00043663 0.00039694

 

This table shows the 2023 tax rates for occupied landfills, pipelines, farm, and managed forests.

Category Lower general OPP special levy Upper general Education Education payment in lieu of taxes
Landfills-occupied 0.00450203 0.00087517 0.00551004 0.00677916 0.00677916
Pipelines-occupied 0.00286493 0.00055693 0.00350639 0.00458716 0.00458716
Farm-occupied 0.00102319 0.00019890 0.00125228 0.00038250 Not applicable
Managed forests-occupied 0.00102319 0.00019890 0.00125228 0.00038250 Not applicable

This table shows the landfill, pipeline, farm and managed forest tax rates for street lights.

Street Light System Landfills-occupied Pipelines-occupied Farm-occupied Managed forests-occupied
Bachand 0.00036023 0.00022924 0.00008187 0.00008187
Bayfield 0.00018813 0.00011972 0.00004276 0.00004276
Bayview 0.00012562 0.00007994 0.00002855 0.00002855
Brucefield 0.00112423 0.00071542 0.00025551 0.00025551
Dashwood 0.00062874 0.00040011 0.00014290 0.00014290
Dinsley Terrace 0.00023235 0.00014786 0.00005281 0.00005281
Harris 0.00033497 0.00021316 0.00007613 0.00007613
Hensall 0.00030746 0.00019566 0.00006988 0.00006988
Kippen 0.00124200 0.00079036 0.00028227 0.00028227
Lakewood 0.0019196 0.00012216 0.00004363 0.00004363
Varna 0.00034326 0.00021844 0.00007801 0.00007801
Zurich 0.00043663 0.00027786 0.00009924 0.00009924

These tables show the tax rates for 2022.

Tax Classes and Descriptions OPP General County Education Total
RT Residential 0.00081686 0.00373779 0.00470373 0.00153000 0.01078838
R1 Residential Farmland 0.00020422 0.00093445 0.00117593 0.00038250 0.00269710
MT Multi-Residential 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00153000 0.01171423
CT Commercial 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
XT Commercial, new construction 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
CU-Excess 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
CX-Vacant 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
IT-Industrial 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
JT-Industrial, new construction 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
JU-Excess, new construction 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
IU-Excess 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
IX-Vacant 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00880000 0.01898423
HF-Landfill 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00677916 0.01696339
PT-Pipeline 0.00057181 0.00261645 0.00329261 0.00458716 0.01106803
FT-Farmlands 0.0020422 0.00093455 0.00117593 0.00038250 0.00269710
TT-Managed Forest 0.00020422 0.00093445 0.00117593 0.00038250 0.00269710

Payment in lieu (PIL)

PIL Class and Description OPP General County Education Total
CF-Commercial PIL: Full 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00980000 0.01998423
CG-Commercial PIL: General 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 N/A 0.01018423
HF-Landfill PIL: Full 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00677916 0.01696339
IH-Industrial PIL: Full 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00980000 0.01998423
IJ-Industrial PIL: Vacant Land 0.00089855 0.00411157 0.00517411 0.00980000 0.01998423

Street Light Rates (Residential)

System Rate
Bachand street lights 0.00032748
Bayfield street lights 0.00017498
Bayview street lights 0.00011596
Brucefield street lights 0.00102203
Dashwood street lights 0.00057447
Dinsley Terrace street lights 0.00022085
Hensall street lights 0.00028247
Harris street lights 0.00030468
Kippen street lights 0.00112909
Lakewood street lights 0.00017757
Varna street lights 0.00031621
Zurich street lights 0.00040031

 

Municipality of Bluewater
14 Mill Avenue
ZURICH, ON
N0M 2T0
Phone: 519-236-4351
or 1-877-236-4351
Fax: 519-236-4329
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