Review period or formal complaint: the steps

There are two routes, and most people only need the first.

1. Ask the municipality (review period)

After notices go out there is a period when you can call or write to the assessment office, ask how your value was reached, and point out errors or similar homes assessed lower. It costs nothing. If the assessor agrees, the assessment can be corrected without a hearing.

2. File a complaint (Assessment Review Board)

If you still disagree, you file a complaint on the municipality’s form by the deadline printed on your notice, with the fee (usually $50 for a home). The Board is independent of the assessor. You and the municipality exchange evidence before a hearing, then each side presents its case.

Things to know

• The deadline is strict. Late complaints are generally not accepted.
• The complaint is about the assessed value or the property’s details, not the tax rate.
• Keep paying your taxes on time while a complaint is under way.
• Evidence must usually be disclosed to the other side before the hearing, by dates the Board sets.

City by city: Lethbridge · Calgary · Edmonton · Strathcona County · Grande Prairie

Other guides

• How property assessment works in Alberta
• Why a higher assessment doesn't mean your taxes rise by the same amount
• What makes a good comparable home
• Alberta's 2027 education property tax change

General information about Alberta property assessment, not legal advice.