Your tax dollars help fund essential municipal services and contribute to provincial education and seniors’ housing. Property taxes can be complex, so check out our resources to learn how taxes are calculated, better understand your assessment and find out how to manage everything from payments to address changes.
Understanding your property taxes
Your property tax bill is made up of three parts:
Municipal taxes — the portion that funds essential local services like fire, RCMP, roads, parks and community programs.
Provincial education taxes — the portion that goes to the provincial government to help fund Alberta’s education system.
Seniors’ housing taxes — a contribution to the Rocky View Foundation, which supports affordable housing for seniors in the region.
In 2025, the Province increased the education property tax rate. As a result, most property owners will see an increase in the education portion of their bill.
April 1, 2025 — property assessment review period ends
May 30, 2025 — property tax bills mailed
June 30, 2025 — property tax payment deadline
July 1, 2025 — late-payment penalties apply
Note: Failure to receive your tax notice does not exempt you from late-payment penalties.
Important Dates
Jan. 1
15 per cent penalty applied on all outstanding taxes
Jan. 23
Assessment notices mailed
Jan. 31
Notice of assessment date
Jan. 31 – April 1
60-day review period
April 1
Final date to file a complaint
May 30
Property tax bills mailed
June 30
Property tax payments due
July 1
Seven per cent penalty applied on all outstanding current taxes
Oct. 1
Eight per cent penalty applied on all outstanding current taxes
Oct. 23
Supplementary bills mailed
Oct. 31
Supplementary notice of assessment date
Oct. 31 to Dec. 30
Supplementary assessment 60-day review period
Dec. 30
Final date to file a complaint for supplementary assessments
Dec. 31
Supplementary property tax payments due
2024 property tax breakdown
Average assessed value —$615,000 (up from $561,200 in 2023)
Average tax increase — $140/year or $11.67/month
Tax component (Average single family dwelling)
2024
2023
$ in/decrease
% in/decrease
Assessment
$615,500
$561,200
$54,300
9.68%
Municipal Tax Levy
$2,584
$2,583
$1
0.04%
Provincial (education) and Rocky View Foundation (seniors’ affordable housing)
$1,415
$1,275
$140
10.98%
Total property tax bill
$3,999
$3,858
$140
3.63%
The amounts below represent the tax amount charged per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Tax rates are updated annually when Council approves the tax bylaw.
2024
Total Municipal
Rocky View Foundation
Education
Total mill rate
Residential
0.0041986
0.0000758
0.0022237
0.0064981
Non-residential
0.0076701
0.0000758
0.0035940
0.0113399
Annexed residential
0.0021773
0.0000758
0.0022237
0.0044768
Annexed farmland
0.0054431
0.0000758
0.0022237
0.0077426
Annexed non-residential
0.0076205
0.0000758
0.0035940
0.112903
Historic tax rates
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Residential
0.0068759
0.0074947
0.0076331
0.0074182
0.0072562
Non-residential
0.0111016
0.0115224
0.0105391
0.0102362
0.0102887
Annexed residential
0.0047167
0.0050105
0.0052081
0.0051211
0.0051073
Annexed farmland
0.0077717
0.0054990
0.0000443
0.0022284
0.0077717
Annexed non-residential
0.0109021
0.0073320
0.0000443
0.0035258
0.0109021
Community Revitalization Levy + Rocky View Foundation non-residential rate
The Government of Alberta also offers the Seniors Property Tax Deferral Program, which allows seniors 65 years of age and older to defer all or a portion of their property taxes through a low-interest home equity loan.
If taxes are not paid by the due date, escalating penalties apply:
July 1 — seven per cent penalty on unpaid taxes
Oct. 1 — eight per cent penalty on unpaid taxes
Jan. 1 — 15 per cent penalty on arrears
If your bank is paying your taxes, you are still responsible for ensuring they are paid on time.
Penalties are imposed under the authority of the Town of Cochrane Tax Penalties Bylaw 08/2008 (PDF), which was passed pursuant to provisions of the Municipal Government Act and cannot be waived by the Town of Cochrane Tax department.
If you are paying principal, interest and taxes (PIT) to your mortgage company, you will receive the original tax bill for your records, and the mortgage company will receive an invoice for your taxes. Your mortgage company will be listed on your bill. If it isn’t, contact them immediately.
If a mortgage company is listed on your bill but the firm is no longer responsible for your tax payments, you are responsible for paying the bill.
If you are paying PIT to your mortgage company, you would not qualify for the monthly Tax Installment Payment Plan (TIPP).
Understanding tax bills and assessments
If you recently sold your home, the Town may not have received the updated ownership details from Land Titles yet. Ownership records are updated twice a month.
Log in to eServices to access your account, or request a copy by emailing taxes@cochrane.ca. In your email, please include your roll number or property address.
According to the Operating Reserves Policy 1705-01, any surplus is placed in a capital reserve fund, which is used to prepare for new facilities included in the 10-year financial strategy.
To view your payment history, log in to eServices and use the account/roll number on your bill.
School taxes (approximately 32 per cent of your property tax bill) are collected by municipalities on behalf of the province to fund education. If you have any questions, contact Alberta Education directly.
Your property’s assessed value determines your share of municipal taxes. Assessments ensure fairness in tax distribution. Learn how your property assessment is determined.
Log in to eServices and check the “Assessment” tab for historical information.
