This guide covers three features that deal with changes to property tax status during the year: Assessment Appeals (taxpayers disputing their assessed value), Tax Exemptions (properties granted relief from tax), and Property Transfers (ownership changes with tax proration).
Getting Here
- Open the main sidebar and select a Bookkeeping Client.
- In the client sidebar, expand Municipal Government → Property Tax → Properties & Assessments.
- Click Assessment Appeals, Exemptions, or Property Transfers.
Assessment Appeals
Path: Properties & Assessments → Assessment Appeals
When a property owner disagrees with their assessed value, they can file an appeal with the Assessment Review Board (ARB). This page tracks every appeal through its lifecycle — from filing to decision.
Top Metrics
Four cards summarize the appeal landscape:
| Metric | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Total Appeals | The total number of appeals in the system. |
| Pending | Appeals with status Filed, Scheduled, or Hearing — still in progress. |
| Decided | Appeals that have been resolved. |
| Value at Risk | The sum of assessed values under appeal — the potential tax revenue at stake. |
The Appeals Table
The table lists every appeal with powerful search and status filtering above it.
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Appeal # | A unique appeal reference number. |
| Property | Roll number of the property under appeal. |
| Tax Year | The assessment year being disputed. |
| Appeal Type | assessment_value, classification, or exemption_denial. |
| Original Value | The assessed value before the appeal. |
| Requested Value | The value the taxpayer is requesting. |
| Status | A color-coded badge: filed (blue), scheduled (orange), hearing (purple), decided (green), dismissed (grey), withdrawn (grey). |
| Filing Date | Date the appeal was filed. |
| Actions | View/Edit button. |
Filing an Appeal
- Click the File Appeal button.
- Fill in the form:
| Field | What To Enter |
|---|---|
| Assessment | Search and select the assessment being appealed. Lists assessments from all years. |
| Property | Alternatively, search and select a property directly. |
| Tax Year | The tax year of the appeal. |
| Appeal Type | assessment_value (disputing the dollar value), classification (disputing the property class), or exemption_denial (disputing a denied exemption). |
| Requested Value | The value the taxpayer believes is correct. |
| Filing Date | The date the appeal was formally filed. |
| Appeal Grounds | Text explaining the basis for the appeal (e.g., "Comparable sales support lower value"). |
| Notes | Internal notes about the appeal. |
| Collection Hold | Toggle on to pause tax collection on this property while the appeal is pending. |
- Click File Appeal.
Updating an Appeal Status
Click the eye/edit icon on any appeal row.
The detail view shows the appeal information and a status dropdown.
Change the status as the appeal progresses through the system:
- Filed → Scheduled (hearing date set)
- Scheduled → Hearing (hearing in progress)
- Hearing → Decided (decision rendered)
- Any stage → Withdrawn (taxpayer withdraws)
- Any stage → Dismissed (ARB dismisses)
If the status is changed to Decided, you can enter the Decided Value and Decision Date. This value can be used to create a revised assessment.
Collection Hold
When Collection Hold is enabled on an appeal, tax collection actions (sending notices to collections, applying penalties) are paused for that property. The hold is automatically lifted when the appeal is decided, dismissed, or withdrawn.
Tax Exemptions
Path: Properties & Assessments → Exemptions
Tax exemptions reduce or eliminate the tax burden for qualifying properties — such as churches, schools, charities, government buildings, seniors' residences, and agricultural land.
The Exemptions Table
The page uses infinite scroll with three filter dropdowns: search, status, and exemption type.
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Exemption # | A unique reference number. |
| Properties | The roll numbers of properties covered by this exemption. An exemption can apply to multiple properties. |
| Type | A badge with an icon: Full Exemption, Partial Exemption, Religious, Educational, Charitable, Provincial, Federal, Seniors, Veterans, Agricultural, or Other. |
| Percentage | The percentage of tax exempted (100% = full exemption). |
| Exempt Mill Rates | If specified, which mill rates the exemption applies to. |
| Start Date | When the exemption begins. |
| End Date | When the exemption expires (blank = ongoing). |
| Status | Active (green), Pending (orange), or Expired (grey). |
| Actions | View, Edit, and Delete icons. |
Creating an Exemption
- Click the Add Exemption button.
- Fill in the form:
| Field | What To Enter |
|---|---|
| Properties | Search and select one or more properties. You can add multiple properties to a single exemption. Required. |
| Exemption Type | Choose from the list: Full, Partial, Religious, Educational, Charitable, Provincial, Federal, Seniors, Veterans, Agricultural, or Other. Required. |
| Exemption Percentage | A number from 0 to 100. 100 means the property pays no tax on the selected rates. |
| Exempt Mill Rates | Optional. If left blank, the exemption applies to ALL mill rates. If you select specific rates, only those portions of the tax bill are exempted. For example, you might exempt the municipal portion but not the education portion. |
| Start Date | When the exemption takes effect. Defaults to today. |
| End Date | When the exemption expires. Leave blank for ongoing exemptions. |
| Bylaw Number | The municipal bylaw authorizing this exemption. |
| Reason | The legal basis or reason for the exemption. |
| Notes | Internal notes. |
- Click Save.
Editing an Exemption
- Click the pencil icon on any row.
- Modify the fields as needed.
- Click Save.
How Exemptions Affect Tax Calculation
When the system calculates tax for a property:
- It first computes the full tax: Taxable Value ÷ 1,000 × Mill Rate.
- Then it checks for active exemptions on that property.
- If an exemption exists and covers the mill rate being calculated, the tax for that rate is reduced by the exemption percentage.
- A full (100%) exemption means the property pays $0 for the covered rates.
- A partial (50%) exemption means the property pays half the tax for the covered rates.
Exemptions only apply during their active date range. An exemption with an end date in the past is marked Expired and no longer affects calculations.
Property Transfers
Path: Properties & Assessments → Property Transfers
When a property is sold or ownership changes, a Property Transfer records the change, calculates tax proration between buyer and seller, and can generate a vendor credit (for the seller's prepaid portion) or adjust the tax account.
The Transfers Table
The page uses infinite scroll.
| Column | What You See |
|---|---|
| Transfer # | A unique transfer reference number. |
| Property | Roll number of the transferred property. |
| From | The previous owner (seller). |
| To | The new owner (buyer). |
| Type | Sale, gift, inheritance, or other. |
| Effective | The effective date of the transfer. |
| Vendor Credit | The amount credited to the seller for prepaid taxes. |
| Status | Draft, Pending, Completed, or Voided. |
| Actions | View and Void buttons. |
Creating a Property Transfer (Wizard)
The transfer process is a two-step wizard:
Step 1: Enter Transfer Details
Click New Transfer to open the wizard. Fill in:
| Field | What To Enter |
|---|---|
| Property | Search and select the property being transferred. Required. |
| New Owner | Search and select the buyer. Required. |
| Transfer Date | The date the transfer is recorded. |
| Effective Date | The legal effective date of the ownership change. |
| Transfer Type | Sale (arm's length sale), Gift, Inheritance, or Other. |
| Sale Price | The sale price (for sale type transfers). |
| Proration Method | How to prorate taxes between buyer and seller: Daily (based on days) or Calendar Month. |
| Arrears Responsibility | Who is responsible for existing arrears: Purchaser (buyer assumes all arrears) or Vendor (seller must clear arrears). |
| Purchaser Share % | If arrears are split, the percentage the buyer assumes (default 50%). |
| Notes | Any notes about the transfer. |
Click Preview Transfer to continue.
Step 2: Review and Confirm
The preview shows:
- The current tax year's levy and how much has been paid.
- The calculated vendor credit (seller's prepaid portion).
- Any arrears and who is responsible for them.
- The proration calculation detail.
Review the preview carefully. If the numbers look correct, click Confirm Transfer.
The system then:
- Creates the transfer record.
- Updates the property's owner linkage for the current assessment year.
- Generates a vendor credit transaction if applicable.
- Adjusts the arrears responsibility as specified.
Voiding a Transfer
If a transfer was recorded in error:
- Click the Void button on the transfer row.
- Enter a Reason for voiding.
- Click Confirm.
Voiding reverses the ownership change and any financial transactions created by the transfer. The transfer record remains in the system marked as Voided for audit purposes.
How These Features Work Together
Here is a typical scenario that uses all three features:
- A property owner files an Assessment Appeal because they believe their assessed value is too high. You enable Collection Hold to pause penalties while the appeal is pending.
- The property is a church, so you also create an Exemption for the religious institution type at 100%.
- The appeal is Decided and the assessed value is reduced. You create a revised assessment.
- Meanwhile, the church Transfers the property to a new congregation. You record the transfer, which links the new owner and prorates any remaining taxes.
- The exemption remains in effect for the new owner.
The system tracks all of this history on the Property Detail page under the respective tabs.