Appealling Ontario Assessments

One thing that seemed to have slipped through the cracks with regards to the new 2008 Ontario property assessments, is that when a property owner wants to appeal an assessment, the assessor now has the obligation to prove the assessment is correct rather than the taxpayer having to prove the assessment is wrong. This is the exact opposite of how it used to be.

If your client wants to appeal their assessment, you should direct them the MPAC website where it describes the new procedures.

It explains how your assessed value was arrived at, gives you an opportunity to look at other comparable properties, the procedures to follow to apply for an appeal, and the relative forms.

From past experience, and I assume that the policy is the same, I have found they are very receptive to your requests, and will listen to your argument. If you can back up your claim, they will certainly change your assessment. I am not sure if the new policy will change this. I guess we'll have to wait and see.