Ask the City Assessor
On January 28, Calgary’s City Assessor Eddie Lee hosted a free virtual presentation and Q&A session to help property owners better understand their 2026 property assessment.
Note: Due to privacy concerns, Mr. Lee couldn’t answer property specific questions during the session but addressed common and general concerns.
Below are some of the frequently asked questions:
I just received my assessment notice in the mail, what should I do after receiving it?
The City sent out 2026 property Assessment Notices on Jan. 14. Although they are sent in January of 2026, it’s important to remember that they are an estimate of your market value on July 1, 2025. It’s not an estimate of your property’s market value when you received the notice or the value it was on the last day of 2025. If your property’s characteristics and condition change after the valuation date of July 1, 2025, the assessment will reflect the characteristics as of December 31, 2025.
It’s also important to remember an assessment notice is not a tax bill. There is no payment required, and if you feel the assessed amount is an accurate reflection of their market value from July 1, 2025, and have no questions, no action is required.
If you have concerns or questions about your assessed value, you should visit calgary.ca/assessment or call 311 before March 23, which is the last day of our 2026 customer review period.
What if I didn’t receive my Assessment Notice?
Call us at 311, you can also access your property’s assessed amount by logging into calgary.ca/mytax.
Why is it important that I look at and understand my Property Assessment Notice?
It’s important you look at understand your property’s assessment because it determines your share of property tax. When you get your property tax bill later in the year, the amount is set. So, the Customer Review Period ending on March 23, is the time to review your notice and contact us if you have questions.
It’s important to remember that property assessment changes are revenue neutral, meaning the assessments do not change the total property tax revenue The City collects. It is merely used to determine a property owner's individual share of property tax.
Do higher assessments mean The City collects more property tax?
No, higher assessments do not increase the property tax The City collects. The City and provincial budgets determine the amount of property tax collected. Approximately 42% of property tax collected is for and sent to the province, the remaining 58% stays in Calgary to support City services important to Calgarians.
Assessment changes are revenue neutral, meaning the assessments do not change the total property tax revenue The City collects. Property assessments are merely used to determine a property owner's individual share of property tax.
When are property tax bills mailed and can I get an early estimate of the amount?
Property tax bills for 2026 are mailed in May and will be due June 30. You can get an estimate of your property tax bill by visiting calgary.ca/taxcalculator and inputting the amount from your assessment notice. You’ll also get a breakdown of the factors impacting your tax bill and see information on how your tax dollars are used to further Calgarian priorities.
Do you have advice for a property owner who’s concerned about budgeting to pay their property tax bill in June?
If a property owner is looking to reduce the burden of paying one large lump sum payment in June, they should consider joining TIPP, the Tax Instalment Payment Plan.
TIPP makes tax payments more manageable and is our most popular payment option. It allows property owners to pay the equivalent of their annual property tax bill in 12 monthly installments, rather than a single lump sum on June 30.
- Smaller automatic monthly instalments help property owners budget and removes their risk of late payment penalties.
- TIPP instalments are recalculated twice a year. This ensures property owners pay the same amount as their annual tax bill, no more, no less.
There is no charge to join TIPP, and property owners don’t need to re-apply each year. The can go to calgary.ca/tipp to join.
What real estate market changes have occurred this year that may have affected property value?
Looking at how the Residential and Non-residential classes have changed since last year’s assessment, the typical residential market change is 1% this year compared to 15% last year.
The residential market includes detached and semi-detached homes, condominiums, multi-residential rental apartments and vacant land. Over the past year, we have seen a return to a more balanced market. Key drivers of this trend include stabilizing net migration and in increased housing supply.
The non-residential market remains resilient, with industrial properties continuing to lead growth. Retail continues to grow, while office challenges persist but show signs of improvement. Overall, the non-residential sector also experienced a modest 1% increase.
How are property assessments prepared?
In determining that estimate of market value, we would do it the same way you did, when you first purchased your home. We would look at recent sales of comparable properties and take into consideration property characteristics that matter most like location, quality, building size, age, lot size, influences like views, greenspace, traffic, renovations and more. When assigning a value, we look at homes with similar characteristics and location and assign a similar market value to each. This way, similar properties are assessed similarly and will pay similar taxes.
Market value assessments are accepted as best practice throughout the world for property tax. The main reason is because the system is transparent as real estate market information is widely available and most homeowners have an idea of how much their home is worth. This is why the province has legislated market value assessments.
What if a property owner doesn’t speak or read English well?
You can call 311 that can assist you or visit calgary.ca/assessment. In addition to our website and online tools, we offer translated assessment notices, brochures, and an informational video in six languages: Mandarin, Spanish, Punjabi, Arabic, Pashto and French.
How come my home’s assessed value went up but my neighbour’s didn’t?
When comparing your assessed value to other houses you want to ensure you’re comparing similar property types with similar property details. First review your property details are correct by logging into myTax at calgary.ca/mytax. Once logged in you can also view and compare your details to homes in your area.
A good comparable for your property would be one with similar attributes that you feel would sell for a similar price as your home. Similar attributes to look for in homes would include:
- Location
- Structure type (bungalow, two-story, bi-level, detached, etc.)
- Similar square footage
- Features (garages, fire places, etc.)
- Condition (recent renovations or upgrades)
- Additional factors that may increase value (is there a view, is it beside a park, etc.)
- Additional factors that may decrease value (is it near traffic, does it front or back onto a busy road, etc.)
When finding a comparable it doesn’t need to match all the same attributes as your home, but the more it does the stronger comparable it is. If your home went up in value and your neighbours didn’t, perhaps you did a recent renovation, added a garage or made a change to your property which added value to it.