Why is my Ontario assessment so much lower than my home's market value?

Because it reflects January 1, 2016 values — Ontario has postponed reassessment for a decade. It's not an error and not a discount: every property in your municipality is valued on the same dated basis, and the tax rate is calibrated to it. Appealing because your assessment is below market value would be arguing to raise your own taxes.

Will Ontario reassess soon, and will my taxes jump when it does?

A provincial review of the assessment system is underway, but as of the 2026 tax year no new valuation date has taken effect. When reassessment comes, municipalities will rebase their rates against the new roll — so your taxes rise meaningfully only if your value increased faster than your municipality's average since 2016.

Homeowner guide · Ontario

Property taxes in Ontario

Ontario property taxes are calculated on assessments from MPAC that are still based on January 1, 2016 values — the province has repeatedly postponed reassessment, so the 2016 valuation applies for the 2026 tax year while a provincial review of the assessment system is underway. Municipalities set their own rates on those values, the province sets the education rate, and if you disagree with your assessment, a free Request for Reconsideration filed with MPAC by March 31 of the tax year is the first step.

Valuation date still used for 2026 tax bills: Jan 1, 2016
Deadline to file a Request for Reconsideration: March 31
Cost to file an RfR with MPAC: $0

What Ontario's frozen 2016 assessments mean for you

Ontario hasn't reassessed since the 2016 base year, so every home in the province is taxed on what it was worth a decade ago. That doesn't mean taxes are frozen — municipal budgets and rates have kept rising — but it does mean assessments have drifted far from market reality, unevenly. Neighbourhoods that appreciated faster than average since 2016 are quietly undertaxed relative to slower ones, and nothing rebalances that until the province finally reassesses. A provincial review of the assessment system is underway; until it concludes, the 2016 values stand.

New construction doesn't escape the freeze — MPAC values new homes at what they would have been worth on January 1, 2016, keeping them comparable with the rest of the roll. And when reassessment eventually comes, a big jump in your assessed value won't mean a proportional jump in your taxes: rates will be rebased against the new roll, and only properties that rose faster than their municipality's average will see real increases.

How to appeal your assessment in Ontario

The first step for a residential property is a Request for Reconsideration — free, filed with MPAC (the fastest route is through its AboutMyProperty portal), with a deadline of March 31 of the tax year. MPAC reviews and responds in writing, usually within 180 days. For residential, farm, and managed-forest properties the RfR is mandatory before you can appeal further; if you disagree with MPAC's decision, the escalation is to the Assessment Review Board, and your decision letter states the deadline for getting there.

Because of the 2016 base year, an Ontario appeal argues about 2016 values, not today's. Your evidence is what comparable properties were assessed at — not what homes sell for now. MPAC's portal lets you compare your assessment against similar neighbourhood properties for free, and an inequity with them is exactly the case an RfR is built for.

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Homeprint keeps every tax deadline from sneaking up on you

Everything above runs on dates: the appeal window on an assessment notice, instalment due dates, the grant you must claim every year. Homeprint reads your assessment notices and tax bills when you add them, tracks your assessed value and payments year over year, and reminds you before each deadline — while the window is still open, not after it closes.

Assessment notices and tax bills filed automatically, with your assessed value tracked year over year
Reminders ahead of instalment due dates and your province's appeal deadline — while you can still act
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Property taxes in Ontario — FAQ

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