The New Toronto Vacant Home Tax Portal

The launch of Toronto’s Vacant Home Tax was nothing short of a failure.

Now, with another year looming, the City of Toronto has moved swiftly to ensure that the sophomore year of the program is a much smoother and more accommodating process.

The significant difference this year is the introduction of the City of Toronto Vacant Home Tax Declaration Portal.

What is the Vacant Home Tax (VHT)?

This City of Toronto program requires homeowners to advise the City each year whether their property (ies) are occupied or vacant. The program was created to increase the housing supply by encouraging homeowners to sell or rent out vacant properties. Although owners of vacant properties can continue to keep them vacant, they must now pay a tax to do so. This tax revenue is then allocated to affordable housing initiatives.

Before you click, you’ll need:

1. Your tax bill
   1. Find your Assessment Number on your bill, then,
   2. Find your Customer Number.
2. Review the possible exemptions to see if you qualify. We also provided a summary here. In short, if one of your properties is vacant but falls under these conditions, you may be exempt from the tax.
   1. The death of the owner.
   2. The principal resident is in care at another property/facility.
   3. The residence is undergoing significant repairs/renovations.
   4. The legal ownership of the residence was transferred.
   5. Vacancy is required for the owner or spouse to use for at least six months of the year for employment purposes.
   6. A court order prohibits occupancy for at least six months of the year.
   7. The property is part of vacant new inventory declared by the developer.
   8. The vacant property is still needed as a secondary unit for medical reasons.
      1. Ensure you read the full details of the above Vacant Home Tax exemptions.
   9. Once you have completed your declaration in the portal, save the City’s email confirming it has your declaration.
   10. Repeat this process for every City property that you own.

Deadlines

Don’t worry–you still have time. With the new portal, checking this requirement from your list for another year is easy.

All declarations must be received by April 30, 2025. If your property(ies) are subject to the tax, you will be issued a Vacant Home Tax Notice in May 2025.

If you’re still unsure about your Declaration, I’d be happy to help you navigate the process!

Are you ready to move to the next stage? Let’s chat. Send me an email (hillary@hillarylane.ca) or text/phone (416-882-4707).

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash