Property Tax Base Project - Residential Property Values

Detailed information for 2006

The Property Tax Base Project is primarily intended to meet data requirements from Finance Canada for the Federal Equalization Program, in which the property tax base (residential and non-residential property combined) is one of the important components. These data requirements include property values at market price and population estimates.

• Description
• Data sources and methodology

Description

The Property Tax Base Project is primarily intended to meet data requirements from Finance Canada for the Federal Equalization Program, in which the property tax base (residential and non-residential combined) is one of the important components. These data requirements include property values at market price and population estimates.

For the time being, the property value component of the project focuses entirely on residential property assessment. In producing the estimates, Statistics Canada has incorporated conceptual and methodological elements that are either stipulated by or are endorsed by Finance Canada.

The property value component refers to annual aggregated property values at the provincial and municipal level, stratified by general property groupings that include residential, non-residential, agricultural, engineering, and other category. The current estimates are limited to residential property values which are adjusted to reflect common valuation base date and state date in order to enhance inter-provincial comparability.

- A base date is the reference date for the valuation of all properties using a market value standard.

- A state date is the date that refers to the physical state of the property to be valued.

The Equalization program requires that, for taxation year t, the residential values reflect a base date on July 1 in year t-1, and that they correspond to a state date on January 1 in year t where all residential properties are reflected in the inventory.

The values are also broken down by their taxation status, including taxable, exempt, and where applicable, provincial, municipal and federal grants-in-lieu.

Subjects

• Construction
• Government

Data sources and methodology

Target population

All residential and non residential properties in Canada, includes all land and dwellings (or structures) classified for residential or non-residential use. Examples of residential properties are single-family, mobile, cottage, semi-detached, row house and apartment building. Examples of non-residential properties are office building, hotel, restaurant and factory.

For the time being, the property value component of the project focuses entirely on residential property assessment.

Instrument design

This methodology does not apply.

Sampling

This methodology type does not apply to this statistical program.

Data sources

Data are extracted from administrative files.

Data are collected from provincial/municipal assessment entities and are based on their assessment rolls. Data respondents have agreed to provide the data on a regular basis either through formal agreements or responding per request.
Data are generally reported at the municipality level.

The municipalities covered by original data are matched to census sub-divisions (CSD) updated annually by Statistics Canada's Standard Geographical Classification system.

Some CSD types are out of scope according to Finance Canada and property assessment values for such CSD are not part of the estimates. The out-of-scope types include IGD (Indian government district), IRI (Indian reserve), NL (Nisga'a land), NV (Northern village), NVL (Nisga'a village), S-É (Indian settlement), SÉ (Settlement), TC (Terres réservées aux Cris), TI (Terre inuite), TK (Terres réservées aux Naskapis), TL (Teslin land), TR (Terres réservées), VC (Village cri), VK (Village naskapi) and VN (Village nordique). Also excluded from the database are some specific CSDs which are treated as Indian reserves although their types are not in the out-of-scope list.