March 2023

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MPAC’s constituency office tour

MPAC is excited to announce its first Constituency Office Tour starting this spring. We will be reaching out to all 124 MPP offices to schedule an in-person meeting. MPAC staff will come to your office and provide an overview of MPAC, discuss how we can assist you with constituent inquiries and any local issues regarding assessment. The tour will take place from the middle of May through to July. Please keep an eye on your email for further details.

New assessment forecasts and assessment insights to support municipal planning

We recently delivered customized reports to municipalities, which offer important information for municipalities when managing yearly planning and budgeting activities.



The Revised Preliminary New Assessment Forecast identifies $40.9 billion in anticipated growth for this year based on expected new construction, additions, and renovations across Ontario. This revised forecast shows an increase over the Preliminary New Assessment Forecast that we shared in October 2022, which projected over $38.5 billion in growth for 2023.

 

We understand that new assessment is a critical source of revenue for municipalities. That is why we are always fine-tuning our processes and exploring new ways to provide timely information to our municipal partners. For example, our collaboration with municipalities to source building permits and plans through digital submissions has been instrumental in helping us capture new assessment sooner. Read more

New year, new notices!

In our constant effort to elevate the property owner experience, we are introducing new Contact Us and Inspection Notices for our interactions with property owners.

The new notices help ensure we have up-to-date property information and are one of the ways we continue to provide accurate assessed values and prioritize capturing new assessment for municipalities. The notices reflect feedback from property owners and have the same look and feel as other MPAC notices. They now include key elements such as:

• Why the property owner is receiving the notice.
• What the next steps are for the property owner.
• What happens if the property owner does not respond.
• Where to go for more information.

Learn more

Changes to the Farm Forestry Exemption

Effective January 1, 2023, the provincial government increased the Farm Forestry Exemption (FFE) acreage cap for farm woodlots from 20 to 30 acres to keep pace with the growth of farm sizes. As a result of this change, eligible farm properties may require changes to classification or tax liability.

FFE is a tax exemption designed to protect wooded areas. Farmers with farm property or farm property holdings with wooded areas may qualify for the exemption. Previously, the tax exemption applied to one acre of forested land for every 10 acres of farmland and could not exceed 20 acres in any one municipality.

Properties that will have an increase to their eligible FFE acreage will receive a Special Amended Notice (SAN) in spring 2023. All properties that have an FFE will receive a Property Assessment Notice (PAN) later in 2023 to show the FFE value and exemption for the 2024 tax year.

Municipalities will see the value of the FFE as part of their assessment base on Municipal Connect in early 2023 and reflected on the 2024 assessment roll.

MPAC is implementing changes to modernize the entire process and provide transparency to municipalities and property owners. We will continue to offer updates and additional information on our progress. Learn more

Webinar recap: Farm Tax Incentive Program Overview

On March 9, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), Agricorp and MPAC hosted a webinar to over 350 external stakeholders to provide an overview of the Farm Tax Incentive Program. Watch the recording of the webinar to learn about the program’s administration, the process for municipalities from application through approval, and a discussion on consolidation and severance, tax incentive approvals (TIAs) and tax incentive year-ends (TIYs). You can view recordings of all past webinars on mpac.ca or on our YouTube Channel.

One Point of Contact for MPPs and Their Staff 

Looking for assistance in responding to a constituent’s concerns regarding their assessment? Perhaps your office would like some information to add to your website or newsletter? Please reach out to our Manager of Government Relations, James Harvey at james.harvey@mpac.ca or at 647-484-1555.