Over $151M in unpaid property taxes in 2024 in this Ontario city

The rising costs of basic needs like housing, childcare, and food put “additional pressure on households” in Brampton, with more than $151 million in unpaid property taxes at the end of 2024.

The data comes from a City of Brampton report at last week’s committee of council meeting and shows a massive $40.5 million spike in unpaid property taxes last year compared to 2023.

More than $1.3 billion in property taxes were billed in 2023 with over $110 owing at the end of the year, while 2024 saw more than $1.4 billion billed, with $151 million owing.

There was also a five-times increase in the number of accounts sent to a bailiff for collection last year, up from 234 outstanding in 2023 to 1,170 in 2024.

More than 10 per cent of all billed properties failed to pay their 2024 taxes by Dec. 1 of that year, up from 8.3 per cent in 2023.

The report says the rising cost of living has put “additional pressure on households, making it harder to meet basic needs,” and said inflation has “placed pressure on Brampton homeowners’ budgets, contributing to an increase in the taxes receivable-to-billing percentage.”

But the city has also reintroduced annual property tax increases following years of being frozen by Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown.

RELATED: Tax hike close to $200 faced by average Brampton ratepayer in 2025

In 2024, the city approved a nearly 2 per cent property tax hike that saw bills rise by around $118 per household, and another increase of around $200 in 2025.

A report found the average Brampton homeowner was expected to pay over $11,000 in property taxes in 2024 following a combined tax hike of more than 6 per cent by the city and the Region of Peel.

Over 30 accounts were also found to be “uncollectible,” meaning the balances of a combined $253,796.25 will be written off by the city and paid with funds from the city’s Allowance for Doubtful Taxes purse of $2.6 million.

Overdue property tax notices are mailed to the taxpayers in arrears in May and October. Collection letters are then sent out once an account is in default for two years, and failure to pay in the third year could lead to the home being sold as a “Tax Sale” to recoup owed taxes.

The city said it will use all of its “legislated collection tools to collect the outstanding taxes in a fair manner.”