On Tuesday, December 8, 2020, the B.C. government introduced legislation to amend the Home Owner Grant Act.
These amendments are the first step to centralizing the home owner grant program for the 2021 tax year. The proposed amendments do not change the eligibility criteria for the program. Regulations are required to enable the Province to begin accepting applications.
What this means:
• The Province will be entirely responsible for the home owner grant program for the 2021 tax year.
• All home owners will apply directly to the Province online or over the phone.
• The provincial application will be available early in the new year, subject to the deposit of the regulations. Work on the regulations is currently underway.
• Starting Jan. 1, 2021, municipalities will no longer accept retroactive or new applications for the grant and instead direct homeowners to www.gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant
Centralizing this program within the B.C. government will:
• Ensure homeowners receive the grant amount they are eligible for, such as the additional grant for seniors or persons with a disability.
• Automate the approval process for grants resulting in quicker application processing – this will help prevent ineligible homeowners from being penalized for late property tax payment.
• Remove an administrative burden from municipalities.
• Increase tax compliance, ensuring people are paying the right amount of tax.

  • Find out if you qualify for the home owner grant at gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant
  • Claim your grant online at gov.bc.ca/homeownergrant
  • To avoid penalties, your application must be received by the due date stated on the property tax notice.
  • If you miss the due date, you may apply for the home owner grant until December 31; however, penalties may apply.
  • If you did not claim the home owner grant for the previous year, you may apply using the Application for Retroactive Home Owner Grant (FIN 92).
  • Only one home owner grant can be claimed by you or your spouse each year.
  • You may be required to submit additional documentation to establish your eligibility and home owner grants are audited for up to seven years to ensure applicants are eligible for the grants they receive.
  • The information provided may be shared for the purposes of administering the Land Tax Deferment Act, Property Transfer Tax Act and Taxation (Rural Area) Act.

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) The personal information is collected for the purpose of administering the Home Owner Grant Act (HOGA) under the authority of sections 8(1),(3) and 10(4) of the HOGA and under sections 26(a) and (c) of the FOIPPA. Questions about the collection, use or disclosure of this information can be directed to the Manager, Home Owner Grant Administration, PO Box 9991 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC V8W 9R7. (Telephone: Victoria at 250-356-8904 or toll free at 1-888-355-2700). Email: HOGADMIN@gov.bc.ca