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Property Assessments
About Property Assessment
Property assessment is an annual process that is regulated by the Alberta government. The purpose of property assessment is to provide an objective basis for allocation of taxes required to operate the Town and provide services and to pay the Province for education and seniors housing funding requirements.
The assessed value of each property contributes proportionately to the total community assessment from which taxes are collected.
How is Your Property Assessed?
Residential property assessment is based on market value and reflects what would have been a reasonable selling price at July 1 of the previous year, and then includes any physical changes to your property (additions, renovations, demolitions, etc.) as of December 31 of that year. For more information on how assessment values are determined, visit the FAQs.
Commercial properties are assessed in a slightly different manner. The Province sets the process for these assessments. They are based on lease-rate studies and income studies of comparative properties.
Assessments and Taxation
Property assessment is the basis for allocating each property’s share of the total community’s tax. This allocation is based on a property's value relative to the total value of all properties in the Town. The amount of tax a property pays is proportionate to its assessed value.
Assessments alone do not determine tax rates. The tax rate is determined by dividing the revenue required from the municipal budget by the total assessment base. The budget determines the total amount of property taxes required.
Property taxes are dependent on, and are a function of, Town budgets and the provincial contribution requirements for education and seniors funding from the municipality. Property taxes are calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the tax rate.
Individual property taxes are based on each property's proportionate share of the Town's budget; this proportion is determined by annual property assessment values.
Property Assessor
Property assessment values are determined by a certified property assessor who is contracted by the Town to determine assessment values according to provincial standards and requirements.
Property Assessment Changes
The amount an assessment change affects the tax bill is relative to the average market value change.
An increase in individual property assessments does not directly translate to a proportional tax increase. For instance, a 20% assessment rise does not result in a 20% tax increase. Instead, property taxes are determined by the Town's operating budgets and provincial requests for education and seniors funding.
For more details, please call the Town Office and request to speak with the Municipal Assessor.
Assessment Resources
For more information about assessments, you can:
- Visit the Municipal Affairs Property Assessment Overview webpage
- Read the brochure Guide to Property Assessment and Taxation (PDF) in Alberta (this brochure may take a few moments to download).
Contact the Town Office if you have specific questions about your assessment. If the administrative staff is unable to answer your questions, they will be pleased to give your contact information to the Municipal Assessor for the Town of Diamond Valley. He will return your call to discuss your concerns.
Notice of Mailing: Assessment Notices
Pursuant to Section 311(1) of the Municipal Government Act 2000, R.S.A., Chapter M-26 as amended, the Assessment Notices for the Town of Diamond Valley were mailed the week of March 23, 2025 to all assessed property owners.
Town of Diamond Valley property owners are deemed to have received their Assessment Notices as a result of the publication of this notice.
- Deemed Notice of Assessment Date is April 2, 2025
- Final Date of Complaint is June 2, 2025
Would You Like to Speak With the Assessor?
If you have any questions regarding the information shown on your Assessment Notice, please call the Town Office at 403-933-4348. It is possible that questions of a general nature can be answered directly by the Administrative staff. If they are unable to answer your questions, they will notify the Municipal Assessor and he will get in touch with you to discuss your concerns with you directly. The Assessor will make every reasonable attempt to respond to your concerns and resolve any issues to a state of mutual agreement.
Complaints
All assessed persons are encouraged to speak with the Municipal Assessor prior to filing an Assessment Complaint. Many matters can be resolved without the need for a hearing.
If choosing to file a complaint, please ensure that you are informed of the requirements for a hearing. Filing incorrectly may cause your complaint to be invalidated.
- The appropriate fee must accompany the assessment complaint.
- The complaint must be filed on the prescribed form.
- The complete and complaint form with all required fees and documentation must be received by the Clerk of the Assessment Review Board by the deadline shown on the Assessment Notice, or the Tax Notice (for other than property taxes).
- The Clerk will provide notification of the date and location for any required hearing. The notification will also include the timelines for disclosure requirements.
The Final Date of Complaint is June 2, 2025.
Be sure to visit the Assessment Complaints page to access the required forms and further information on filing a complaint.
Alberta Education Requisitions
For information regarding these requisitions, please view the following:
School Support Notice Forms
For those residents who, upon receiving their Property Assessment Notices, discover that they are supporting an incorrect school system, you can access the form here to correct this situation:
Notify as Soon as Possible
Please be aware that any changes filed to your choice of School Support will not take place until the following property taxation year, as the requisitions for the current year have already been filed. However, getting your correcting documentation to the Town Office as soon as possible will ensure that corrections are made and changes are in place well in advance of next year.
Seniors
Seniors who wish to learn more about the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program can follow this link to the Province of Alberta website to read about the program and to access the required forms (PDF).
Eligible seniors may also apply to the Alberta Seniors Benefit program. Follow the link to learn more about the eligibility requirements of the program, and to find the forms to apply for the benefit.
Assessment Roll
View the 2024 Assessment Roll for 2025 Property Taxes.
To search for a specific property, open the Assessment Roll, then type Ctrl F.
A search box will open. You can search by Roll Number or Street Name.
Please note that the Assessments will be one year behind the tax year, for example, "2022 Assessment Roll for 2023 Taxation". This is because assessments are completed on or by December 31 for use in preparing the following year's property taxes.
Comparing
The assessment roll is available to the public for research purposes. Please ensure that when you are comparing properties, you are comparing properties of similar size and use and that any improvements are similar in nature as well.
Note: The Town of Diamond Valley would also like to advise any viewers of this document to be aware that changes may be made to the assessment roll after publication to our website, and that those changes may or may not be reflected on the website at the time that you conduct your research.
- What is the objective and purpose of property assessment?
- How is the value of my property determined / what is property assessment based on?
- What factors will affect the market value of my home?
- What is the Market Value Assessment Standard?
- Why use a market value standard?
- Why is the assessment valuation date last July?
- How is the assessment system an open and accountable process?
- Why are assessment valuations prepared on an annual basis?
- If reassessments are not a means for generating more tax revenue why are properties valued so frequently?
- How much accuracy is there to assessed values?
- How are building sizes calculated?
- How are lot sizes calculated?
- How are assessed values kept fair and reasonable?
- How many properties are assessed each year in Diamond Valley?
- How do renovations or additions affect my assessment?
- Does an annual assessment system create a disincentive for improving my property?
- Why did I receive a property tax notice that is separate from my property tax bill?
- I purchased my property very close to the effective valuation date so how can my assessment be higher?
- I have an appraisal report prepared by a professional independent appraiser who is certified by the Appraisal Institute of Canada, why does their appraisal indicate a lower value?
- What if my real estate agent thinks the assessment is too high?
- What would cause my assessment to increase more than others in my area?
- Why has my assessment increased when general market decreased?
- Why is my property assessment higher than my neighbours?
- Is there notice of residential property inspections?
- If I do not agree with my property assessment, what can I do?
- Can I get information about how my property was assessed and other comparable properties?
- Will an increase in assessment equate to an increase in tax?
- How Can I Pay my Property Taxes?
- TIPP - Terms & Conditions
- TIPP Instalment Payments
- Why are assessment notices mailed before property tax bills?
- When are Property Tax bills mailed?
- How can school tax support declaration be changed?
- Will an increase in assessment equate to an increase in tax?
- If my tax increases, will the level of my municipal services also increase?
- What are my Property Taxes used for?
- How are provincial education tax rates determined?
- Are there any property tax programs available for seniors?
- Where can I see a simple example of how property assessments relate to property taxes?
- Can I appeal my taxes?
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Tax & Utilities Specialist
Phone: 403-933-4348