Questions, answered

Every property in BC is placed in one or more tax classes by BC Assessment. Each class has its own tax rate, and the rates differ a lot. If part of your property is in a class that doesn't match how it is actually used, you may be paying more tax than you should. A classification complaint asks the Property Assessment Review Panel to move that part of the property into the correct class.

The most common case we see is property used for light industry (manufacturing, processing, or warehousing that supports it) that is assessed as Class 6, Business and other. Class 5, Light industry, usually has a lower tax rate. Mixed-use buildings, properties whose use changed recently, and multi-tenant industrial units are also worth checking.

Nothing up front. We work on contingency: our fee is a percentage of the first-year tax saving, with a minimum fee. The fee is never more than you save, and if the classification is not changed you pay nothing.

Assessment notices for the 2027 roll arrive in early January 2027. A complaint to the Property Assessment Review Panel must be filed by January 31, 2027. If that date is missed, the classification generally can't be challenged until the next year's roll.

Often, yes. Many commercial leases pass property tax through to tenants, so tenants have a real interest in the classification. Who can file depends on your situation, and we'll work through it with you (and your landlord, if needed) during the consultation.

A complaint is a normal, routine part of the assessment process that the Province set up for exactly this purpose, and property owners file them every year. We handle the filing and the correspondence for you.

For the first consultation, just the property address and a description of how the space is used. If it looks promising, we'll ask for your assessment notice, photos or a site visit, and any leases or business details that show how the property is used.

Municipalities across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, from Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey and the Fraser Valley to Victoria, Saanich, Nanaimo and the Comox Valley.