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BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax Calculator
The rates went up on 1 January 2026, and most pages still publish the old ones. Enter your assessed value to see what is actually payable.
2026 and 2027 rates · verified 1 October 2026
North Shore is a taxable regionThe declaration is easy to miss in the year you buy
Want this checked against your actual purchase?
This calculator uses the published rates. Whether you owe anything depends on your residency, how the property is used, and which exemptions you can claim — and the declaration has to be filed every year even when you owe nothing. Send me your situation and I will check it. No charge, no obligation.
Prefer to talk now? Call or text 778-903-7306.
How it works
The rates, and the change most pages have missed
| Tax year | Citizens and PRs | Foreign owners & untaxed worldwide earners |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 – 2025 | 0.5% | 2% |
| 2026 | 1% | 3% |
| 2027 onward | 1% | 4% |
The rate applies to the tax payable based on how the property was used during that calendar year, declared the following year. If a page quotes 2% and 0.5%, it is describing 2025 and earlier.
Does it apply on the North Shore?
Yes. The City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver and the Village of Lions Bay are all inside the designated taxable regions. Reserve lands, treaty lands and the lands of self-governing Indigenous Nations are not part of the taxable areas, and nor are islands reachable only by air or water, other than Vancouver Island.
Every owner of residential property in a taxable region must declare every year, even when fully exempt. Most owners are exempt — the common grounds are that the property is your principal residence, or that it was tenanted for at least six months of the year. What triggers an assessment is failing to declare, not owning the property.
Two taxes this one is not
The City of Vancouver Empty Homes Tax is a separate municipal tax at 3% of assessed value, and it applies only inside the city of Vancouver. It does not apply in North Vancouver or West Vancouver.
Questions people actually ask
Does the speculation and vacancy tax apply in North Vancouver?
Yes. The City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, the District of West Vancouver and the Village of Lions Bay are all inside the designated taxable regions.
What are the 2026 speculation tax rates?
3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners, and 1% for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are not untaxed worldwide earners. These rose on 1 January 2026 from 2% and 0.5%, and go to 4% and 1% for 2027. A citizen or PR who is a BC resident also gets a tax credit of up to $4,000 a year from 2026, split by ownership share.
Do I have to declare if I am exempt?
Yes. Every owner of residential property in a taxable region must declare every year, even when fully exempt. Failing to declare is what triggers an assessment — not owning the property.
Is this the same as the Empty Homes Tax?
No. The City of Vancouver Empty Homes Tax is a separate municipal tax at 3% of assessed value and it applies only inside the city of Vancouver. It does not apply in North or West Vancouver.
Does the federal Underused Housing Tax still exist?
No. It was ended for 2025 and all later years by legislation that received Royal Assent on 26 March 2026. Obligations for 2022, 2023 and 2024 are unchanged.
The other calculators
Sources, named and dated
This calculator is an estimate for planning only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Whether an exemption applies to you depends on facts this page cannot know. Every owner of residential property in a taxable region must file a declaration annually, including exempt owners. Rates are those published by the Province of British Columbia on the dates cited above. Tom Jahed, REALTOR®, Personal Real Estate Corporation, Vanak Realty.
Where on the North Shore are you buying?
Prices, strata fees and competition all change by neighbourhood. The area guides for North Vancouver and West Vancouver cover what these numbers look like street by street.