Vacant Home Tax Declaration Due April 30!

After struggles with the Vacant Home Tax (VHT) last year, I'm please to announce that 94.5 per cent of residential property owners have confirmed for the 2024 VHT declaration. However, despite the dramatic improvement that still equates to thousands of homeowners that are set to be taxed on the assumption that their home is lying empty for most of the year. If your property is being used by yourself or tenants, it's imperative that you declare before Wednesday, April 30 to avoid a hefty charge.

The VHT program supports the City’s efforts to increase the supply of housing and make homes more affordable by encouraging property owners to rent or sell their vacant homes. If a declaration is not received by the deadline, the property will be deemed vacant and a VHT Notice of Assessment will be issued. For the 2024 taxation year, the VHT rate is set at three per cent of a property’s Current Value Assessment.

Property owners have several options to submit their occupancy declaration:

Online: Visit the user-friendly portal at www.toronto.ca/VacantHomeTax.
Phone: Call 311 from within Toronto or 416-392-2489 from outside the city to declare in 180 languages. Available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon.
In-person: Visit a Tax and Utility counter at Toronto City Hall or any civic centre. Location details can be found at www.toronto.ca/InquiryPaymentCounter.

To assist homeowners with their declaration, City staff will be available at pop-up sessions next to Tax and Utility counters at the following locations from 9:00am to 3:00pm on the following dates:

City Hall (100 Queen Street West) on Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 30.
North York Civic Centre (5100 Yonge Street) on Wednesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 30.
Scarborough Civic Centre (150 Borough Drive) on Friday, April 25 and Wednesday, April 30.
Etobicoke Civic Centre (399 The West Mall) on Wednesday, April 23 and Wednesday, April 30.
York Civic Centre (2700 Eglinton Avenue West) on Thursday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 30.
East York Civic Centre (850 Coxwell Avenue) on Thursday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 30.

About the VHT program

The VHT program applies to residences that have been unoccupied for more than six months in the previous calendar year, unless it is the owner's primary residence, the principal residence of someone permitted to live there, was occupied by a tenant for at least six months, or qualifies for an exemption. All property owners must submit an annual declaration, even if the property is their primary residence and occupied.

Revenue generated by the Vacant Home Tax supports important housing initiatives outlined in the HousingTO Action Plan, such as funding for Toronto Community Housing Corporation units and the Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition program which helps acquire and preserve at-risk rental housing as permanently affordable.

More information, including how to declare and details about exemptions, is available on my resource page, the VHT program webpage or by calling 311.

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