Holiday mail packs a tax punch

Times Contributor 

 

On August 18, Wheatland County council considered the actions of a Wheatland County ratepayer who stepped up to a mail box on June 30, 2014 and mailed his Wheatland County taxes. 

Wheatland County’s tax deadline was June 30, 2014, and the ratepayer felt they filed in the nick of time. However, the procrastination of waiting to the last day and mailing it on a day next to a holiday cost him $6,709.07.

Canada Post is a government facility and it posts on its website that mail will not be processed on national, provincial or territorial holidays, which would mean in this instance that the ratepayer’s mail to Wheatland County would have an envelope stamped July 2, 2014.

The ratepayer soon learned that due to the July 2, 2014 date stamped on the envelope, they would owe a tax penalty of $6,709.07.

After the ‘hey-what’ set in … the ratepayer mailed a request to Wheatland County to reverse this tax penalty.

“We do not know what caused the delay,” said Chief Administrative Officer Alan Parkin. 

The staff looked at Wheatland County General policy-Section 3.18 and Accounts Receivable and Collections Section 7and they felt the tax should stand. However, a decision on tax reversals over $1,000 must be directed to Wheatland County council.

Wheatland County council were advised of the Wheatland County Bylaw 2010-16, which shows they can designate tax penalties, and Part IV, Section 4(a) which states that tax payments that are mailed to Wheatland County are deemed to have been received by the municipality on the date of the postmark stamped on the envelope.

Council agreed with staff and ruled they would not reverse the tax.

“We do give our residents time to pay taxes,” said Councillor Ben Armstrong. “If we give this to one person, then we need to give it to another… and then where do you draw the line?”