MPAC (Municipal Property Assessment Corporation) is a not-for-profit, public sector corporation serving Ontario property taxpayers. Their role is to accurately value all properties in the province of Ontario. They operate under the authority of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation Act.

Being funded by municipalities, MPAC is directly accountable to the public. MPAC is accountable through a 15-member Board of Directors composed of eight municipal representatives, five members representing property taxpayers and two provincial government representatives. All board members are appointed by the Minister of Finance.

MPAC’s more than 1,600 employees in offices across the province are committed to delivering property assessment excellence, providing outstanding service and earning the trust of property taxpayers as well as municipal and provincial stakeholders. Their employees understand the dynamics and nuances of individual real estate markets; as the majority work out of one of the many local offices across the province.

Who does what?
MPAC is responsible for administering a uniform assessment system based on Current Value Assessment (CVA) in accordance with the legislation set by the Ontario government.

There are four main components in Ontario’s property assessment and taxation system. Each plays an important role.

• The Provincial Government passes legislation, sets property tax policies and sets education tax rates.
• MPAC establishes current value assessments and classifications for all properties in Ontario.
• Municipalities determine their revenue requirements, set municipal tax rates and collect property taxes.
• The Assessment Review Board, an independent tribunal that is part of the Environment and Land Tribunals Ontario cluster which reports to the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, hears assessment appeals from property taxpayers.

Property Owners Four-Year Cycle & Phase-in Program
In Ontario’s four-year assessment cycle, the next province-wide Assessment Update will take place in fall 2012, effective for the 2013-2016 property tax years, and will be based on a legislated valuation date of January 1, 2012.

The last province-wide Assessment Update took place in 2008. In each non-assessment update year, we prepare approximately one million Property Assessment Notices for owners of new properties or properties where a change has taken place.

To provide an additional level of property tax stability and predictability, the Ontario Government introduced a phase-in program where the market increases in assessed value between legislated valuation dates are phased in over four years (2009-2012). The full benefit of any decrease is applied immediately.

To learn more about MPAC, visit www.mpac.ca.