Ask the assessor first: reviews before complaints

Often the simplest way to fix an assessment is not a complaint at all. It's a conversation with the assessor. That's how we work on every file, and it's worth understanding why.

Why start with a conversation

Assessors value a very large number of properties with models. When a value is off, the cause is often simple: a wrong floor area, a finished basement that isn't, a garage that was never built. An assessor can usually correct that kind of error quickly, without a hearing, a board or a formal decision.

Even when the issue is equity, meaning your home is assessed above similar homes, a clear, well-evidenced request lets the assessor check their own work. They know their models and can often see the reason, or the fix, faster than a board could.

For you, that means a quicker answer. For the assessment office, it means fewer formal complaints to process. Boards and panels have limited capacity, and settling early keeps it for the cases that need it.

How it works in each province

Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton). Each city runs a customer review period after notices go out, when you can talk to an assessor and ask for a correction. It runs within the 60-day complaint window, so the complaint deadline still applies.

Source: Municipal Government Act, RSA 2000, c. M-26 (consolidated to May 14, 2026), s. 284(4) ('complaint deadline' = 60 days after the notice of assessment date set under s. 308.1 or 324(2)(a.1)); s. 309(1)(b)-(c); s. 461(1)(b), (1.1) (late complaint invalid); roll: Interpretation Act, RSA 2000, c. I-8, s. 22(1)-(2)

British Columbia. BC Assessment invites owners to contact an appraiser before filing a complaint. The complaint deadline is January 31 (or the next business day) and there's no late filing, so the conversation has to happen in January.

Source: Assessment Act, RSBC 1996, c. 20, s. 33(2) (notice of complaint no later than January 31 of the year following completion of the roll under s. 3); roll to next business day: Interpretation Act, RSBC 1996, c. 238, s. 25(3)-(4)

Ontario. The review step is formal: the Request for Reconsideration to MPAC, which for a home must come before any appeal. For annual notices it's due March 31. For supplementary and omitted assessments it's due 120 days after the issuance date.

Source: Assessment Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. A.31, s. 39.1(1.1) (RFR no later than March 31 of the taxation year); Legislation Act, 2006, s. 89(1)

The one rule that protects you

A conversation doesn't stop the clock. If the review isn't settled as the deadline approaches, file the formal complaint anyway. You can usually still settle afterwards, and filing preserves your right to be heard.

That's exactly how we run it. We ask the assessor to review your assessment first. We file a formal complaint only to protect your rights if the review isn't resolved 7 business days before the deadline. In Alberta, we aim to file at least 5 business days before your complaint window closes. In BC, for the 2027 season we stop accepting new files on January 24, so that every complaint is filed before the deadline.

How to make a good review request

• Lead with facts. One sentence on what's wrong and the value you believe is right.
• Attach proof. Plans, photos, a survey, a permit, a listing from when you bought.
• Show comparables clearly. A short table of similar homes with value per square foot. See how to choose comparable homes.
• Be courteous and brief. The person reading it can help you. Make that easy.

What happens next

If the assessor agrees, you'll get an amended value, and your tax follows. If they partly agree, you can accept or continue to a complaint. If they don't, you file before the deadline, and the review has still helped, because you now know the assessor's reasons.

You may be fairly assessed. If you are, we'll tell you, before anyone contacts the assessor.

A short checklist before you call

• Have your notice in front of you, with the date printed on it circled.
• Write down, in one line, what you think is wrong.
• Gather two or three pieces of proof: plans, photos or a short list of similar homes.
• Note the date of the call, the name of the person you spoke with and what they said.
• If they promise to look into it, ask when you should expect to hear back. If that date is close to your deadline, plan to file anyway.

Keeping this record matters. If the matter ends up before a board, a clear account of what you raised with the assessor, and when, helps show that you acted reasonably and in good time.