In BC, a house of worship building such as a church, gurudwara, synagogue, or mosque is automatically exempt from paying property tax. However, the parking or landscaping areas of a house of worship property are not automatically exempt. Local governments in BC are allowed to provide a whole or partial property tax exemption for land used by charitable, philanthropic, and non-profit organizations.
Other property owners must make up the difference for each permissive tax exemption a local government grants.
The following math is simplified and based on parcel tax (an available tax type that Langley City doesn't use but proves the point.)
For example, if the City has a $50m budget and 8,000 parcels of property, the City would need to raise $6,250 from each property owner. If City Council granted 20 properties a permissive tax exemption, the City would need to raise $6,265.66 from the remaining property owners.
For the 2024 property tax year, the City provided $274,632 in tax exemptions, about 0.65% of each property owner's property tax bill.
All that to say, permissive property tax exemptions are not something that we take lightly.
Langley City Council grants permissive tax exemptions for all property of a house of worship. Council has historically granted permissive tax exemptions to some other organizations. The current Langley City Council has so far voted to continue with the annual renewal of these "legacy" permissive tax exemptions but has signalled no interest in expanding permissive tax exemptions.
In 2021, Langley City Council capped permissive tax exemptions to 1.4% of total property tax revenue and $75,000 per exempted property.
On Monday, October 7th, Council gave first, second and third reading of the 2025 permissive tax exemption bylaw, which will provide an exemption for the following organizations' properties:
Anglican Parish of St Andrew's - 20955 Old Yale Rd
Bridge Community Church - 5521 Brydon Cres
Church of the Nazarene Canada Pacific District - 19991 49 Ave
New Apostolic Church Canada - 19999 53 Ave
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver - 20676 Fraser Hwy
Town & Field Church - 20719 48 Ave
Vancouver Global Mission Church - 5673 200 St
Vineyard Christian Fellowship - 5708 Glover Rd
Community Police Office* - 100-20408 Douglas Cr
Convention Centre* - 20393 Fraser Hwy
Council of the Salvation Army - 5787 Langley Bypass
Langley Community Music School - 4899 207 St
Langley Community Services Society - 5339 207 St
Langley Lawn Bowling - 20471 54 Ave
Langley Seniors Resource Society - 20605 51B Ave
Langley Stepping Stones - 20101 Michaud Cr
Encompass Support Services Society - 20616 Eastleigh Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 20689 Fraser Hwy
Inclusion Langley Society - 210-20239 Michaud Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 208-20239 Michaud Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 210-5650 201A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 312-5650 201A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 19977 45A Ave
Inclusion Langley Society - 4570 209A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 4830 196 St
Langley Care Society - 5451 204 St
Langley Food Bank - 20308 Logan Ave
Langley Hospice Society - 20660 48 Ave
Langley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary - 20560 Fraser Hwy
For more information, please read the Council report.
*City used or owned
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