On March 31, 2026, Calgary City Council approved the 2026 property tax bylaws. The City needed three inputs to set the rates: its own 2026 budget, the assessed value of all properties, and the provincial budget released in February.
Typical single-family home ($706,000): 2026 tax increase per year
The numbers
- Council had already cut the proposed City tax increase from 3.6% to 1.6% in November.
- The provincial portion rose by $212 million, a 20.4% increase. In total, Calgary will send more than $1.2 billion in property tax to the Province.
- For a typical single-family home assessed at $706,000, the City estimates the City share up $49 a year (1.8%) and the provincial share up $338 a year (21%).
The exact change depends on the type and value of each property. Owners can estimate their bill with the City’s tax calculator at calgary.ca/taxcalculator.
What comes next
Bills are mailed in May and payment is due by June 30 for owners who pay once a year. Monthly payments are possible through the Tax Instalment Payment Plan (TIPP).
Our take: on a typical home, the combined increase is about $387 a year, or roughly $32 a month. When you compare homes, look at the assessed value: it drives the tax bill.
Why the provincial share jumped
Most of this year’s increase comes from the education property tax. The Province’s fact sheet says Budget 2026 raises education tax rates to cover growing education operating costs. The residential rate is $2.84 per $1,000 of equalized assessment, and the total requisition is expected to reach $3.6 billion in 2026-27. Education property tax will fund 33.4% of education operating costs. Calgary accounts for 35% of the provincial requisition. The money is pooled and shared among school boards on an equal per-student basis.
According to the Province, education property tax supports K-12 education, including teachers’ salaries, textbooks and classroom resources, and is not used for government operations, school capital costs or teachers’ pensions. The City notes that Calgary sends more than any other Alberta city on a per capita basis.
What the City portion pays for
The City’s share, about $49 more this year for a typical home, funds municipal services. When Council lowered the increase to 1.6% in November, it said it had heard from residents about the need to keep costs down while maintaining essential services, and it invested in infrastructure, transit, public safety and housing.
Your assessment decides your share
Median assessment, 2025 vs 2026
Assessments do not change the total tax the City collects; they decide how it is shared. The 2026 assessment roll was worth $457 billion, $15 billion more than last year, and the typical market value change was a 1% increase. The median single residential assessment rose from $697,000 to $706,000, while the median condo assessment fell from $359,000 to $347,000. If your value rose faster than typical, your share rises; if it fell, as for many condos, your share may shrink.
In January, before the provincial budget, the City estimated that 60% of residential property tax would stay in Calgary and 40% would go to the Province. The larger provincial increase means the final split will lean more toward the Province.
What to do now
- Homeowners: use the tax calculator at calgary.ca/taxcalculator to estimate your bill before it arrives in May.
- Monthly budgeting: the Tax Instalment Payment Plan spreads the cost over monthly payments instead of one large bill in June.
- Buyers: include property tax in your monthly cost when comparing homes. A higher assessment means a higher bill, so ask for the current tax amount on every listing.
- Sellers: if possession falls before the June 30 deadline, make sure your lawyer adjusts for the full 2026 bill.
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