November 2021
Fall Economic Statement to be delivered November 4
On November 4, the Ontario government will present its Fall Economic Statement. If there is any information related to property assessment, we will provide you with a summary following the announcement.
MPAC products and service enhancements
As part of our ongoing commitment to improve our products and services to make them more accessible and user-friendly, we’re rolling out some enhancements to our Property Assessment Notice, property profiles for business properties, and AboutMyProperty.

Property Assessment Notices

We mail approximately 800,000 Property Assessment Notices every year to owners who have moved, changed their school support or made changes to their property.

Starting this fall, the notices will include enhanced information about the reason why the property owner is receiving a Notice. There will also be a QR code on the Notice that directs property owners to mpac.ca where they can learn more.

We are committed to continually improving our products and services, and this change is in response to feedback from property owners and municipalities, who asked us to include this information to make it easier for property owners to understand their notice and verify that their information is correct.

AboutMyProperty

AboutMyProperty™ is our secure online tool that allows property owners and/or their representatives to review the information we have on file for their property, compare their property to others in their neighbourhood, and if they disagree with their assessment, file a Request for Reconsideration.

Starting next month, enhancements to AboutMyProperty will come into effect to increase security, compliance and proper usage.

As part of the enhancements, users:

  • must accept the Terms and Conditions of Use upon every log in.
  • will notice that residential snapshot searches are limited to regional areas, making it easier to find appropriate comparables to their property.
  • non-residential properties will continue to have provincial access.
  • will have access to 100 new snapshots after receiving a Notice, rather than 100 annually.

Property Profiles for Business Properties

Inside AboutMyProperty, users have access to more details about the information we have on file for their property, called profiles.

Enhancements were made to the residential property profiles in 2019, and we’ve now applied these changes – including an improved layout and design - to the non-residential profiles. In addition, the non-residential profiles now have easy to follow charts and valuation summaries in separate sections.

Property owners who receive a 2021 year-end Notice will be able to access their updated profile in AboutMyProperty this fall. All other property owners will see their profile once they receive a Property Assessment Notice as part of the next province-wide Assessment Update.
Sharing insights in Ontario and around the world
Last week, the Canadian Property Tax Association (CPTA) held its annual workshop with a focus on the pandemic – where we’ve been, and where we’re headed. Greg Martino, MPAC’s Vice-President and Chief Valuation and Standards Officer, joined a panel of Canadian assessment leaders to provide insights of the effects the pandemic on different assets in Ontario.
 
In December, MPAC will participate in the International Property Tax Institute’s virtual Conference of Valuation Agencies (CoVA). The event brings together members and participants from Commonwealth Heads of Valuation agencies across the globe. Along with speakers from the Caribbean Advisory Group, African Tax Institute (South Africa), Netherlands Council for Real Estate Assessments, Australia, Estonian Land Board, and the UK Valuation Office Agency, MPAC’s President and CAO, Nicole McNeill, will be joining representatives from Ireland and New Zealand for a panel discussion on Planning for the Future, and Greg Martino will host a session on Mass Appraisal in Ontario.

You can also catch us presenting in the coming weeks at the Institute of Municipal Assessors Symposium and the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) Conference.
Optional Small Business Subclass Report Now Available
A new report is now available to support municipalities in their evaluation and potential use of the optional small business subclass.

The purpose of the report is to share approaches on developing, implementing, and managing this new property tax policy tool. The report itself does not advocate for or against the use of the subclass.

It was developed by a working group brought together to discuss local policy objectives and share timely feedback and guidance on, if and how to design local programs. The group convened by MPAC included representatives from:

  • Association of Municipalities Ontario (AMO)
  • Municipal Finance Officers’ Association (MFOA)
  • Ontario Municipal Tax and Revenue Association (OMTRA)
  • Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA)
  • Ontario Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA)
  • Representatives from Ontario municipalities

To learn more, download the report.
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