What are tax penalties?

Under the Municipal Government Act, municipalities are required to levy a penalty for late tax payments. Ours is 18%, which is typical for municipalities.  Many of the services provided by Bruderheim are legislated by the Province, meaning that we have no choice but to provide the services. If tax revenues are not received in a timely fashion, our municipality's ability to pay for essential services, such as fire response and snow clearing, is at risk.

Over 90% of Bruderheim residents have historically paid their taxes on time.  Unfortunately, those residents' tax dollars go towards subsidizing the 10% of the taxes that are unpaid. Thus, a high penalty is levied to ensure prompt payment and lower the burden on residents who have paid on time.  This also ensures that the municipality will have the financial resources  -  on time  -  to provide the services required and enjoyed by residents.

The Town actively works towards collecting unpaid taxes. Unfortunately, a municipality must levy high penalties or risk the investment in services by the vast majority of residents, and ultimately, the Town's financial sustainability.