Frequently Asked Questions
Q. WHEN ARE WATER BILLS SENT OUT AND DUE?
A. Water Bills are sent out on the following dates of each year:
March 15th, June 15th, September 15th and December 15th.
Water bill payments are due a month after they are sent out.
Q. WHEN ARE PROPERTY TAXES DUE?
A. Property Taxes are mailed out in late May - early June and are due on August 31st (or the Friday before, if August 31st falls on a weekend). All payments must be received before close on the due date.
Q. WHAT PERIOD DOES MY TAX BILL COVER
A. City of Winkler tax bills cover the calendar year (January 1 – December 31).
Q. HOW CAN I PAY MY PROPERTY TAXES
A. In person at the City Hall located at 185 Main Street, Winkler, MB R6W 1B4:
1) Office Hours are Monday to Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm
2) Cheque (payable to the City of Winkler)
3) Cash
4) Debit/Interac (Check with your financial institution to ensure your limit is high enough for the outstanding amount)
5) By mail (allow 4 business days for delivery)
6) For after hours payments, please use the drop off box located on the south side of the building
7)WE DO NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS
•Online banking:
1)Login to your financial institution’s website or app
2) For this service we are only set up with RBC, CIBC, Scotiabank, Access Credit Union, and Rosenort Credit Union.
3) Please allow 3-4 business days to process. All online payments must be received before close on August 31st.
• Pre-authorized payments:
1) If you are signed up for Pre-authorized Tax payments, please contact our office to find out your current outstanding balance.
2) If you would like to sign up for Pre-authorized Tax payments for the upcoming year, please submit the Pre- authorized payments form by the end of August.
Q. WHAT IF I'M PAYING LATE
A. We charge a late fee of 1% of the outstanding balance per month, added on the first day of each month. Properties that are in arrears for more than two years are subject to tax sale proceedings.
Q. Tax Statement Information
A. The property owner’s name and address which appears on your tax statement is in accordance with the latest information which has been made available to the City. It is important that the City office be advised promptly of any change of ownership or mailing address. It is the owner’s responsibility to make sure we have the correct mailing address. If you didn’t receive a tax statement, you are still responsible for paying your taxes. Tax arrears and penalties must be paid in full before payment can be applied to current taxes.
Q. WHEN ARE SUPPLEMENTARY TAXES SENT OUT AND DUE?
A. Supplementary taxes are mailed out in September and are due on December 31st.
Q. CAN I APPEAL MY TAX STATEMENT?
A. No, but you can appeal the assessed value of the property for the upcoming year through the Board of Revision held every fall.
Q. HOW DO I GET THE EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX CREDIT (EPTCA)?
A. The EPTCA is available if the home is your primary residence and you have been living there since before January 1 of the current year. Please contact our office before March 15th to ensure you will receive the credit if you have moved in the past year. If you don’t receive the credit on your tax bill you can claim the credit through your income tax return the following year. Please see the Government of Manitoba website for more information: https://www.gov.mb.ca/finance/tao/eptc.html
Q. EDUCATION PROPERTY TAX REBATE CHEQUES
A. Property owners will receive a rebate cheque of a portion of the gross school division levy. Rebate cheques are mailed out by the Province of Manitoba a month after property taxes are due. If you didn’t receive your rebate cheque, please contact the Manitoba Tax Assistance Office at 204-948-2115 or
1-800-782-0771 (Toll-free). For more information, please visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/schooltaxrebate/index.html