With the 2023 final property tax bills sent out to residents, the Vacant Unit Tax (VUT) appeal period is now open for residential property owners who were charged the VUT but believe they should not have been charged the one per cent tax.
The first step in the appeal process is filing an online Notice of Complaint, now available on ottawa.ca/vut. The City will review your Notice of Complaint, and you will receive a decision by mail or email.
For those residential property owners who did not complete a VUT declaration, their properties were automatically considered vacant, with the one per cent tax added to their final property tax bill. To appeal the VUT charge, they must complete the online declaration in addition to the Notice of Complaint.
If a property owner still disagrees with the decision from their Notice of Complaint, they have a second step in the appeal process. They can complete a Request for Review form online at ottawa.ca/vut.
To complete any of the forms – Notice of Complaint, Request for Review and VUT declaration – you will need your roll number and access code found on your previous VUT information notice or on your new final property tax bill. Residents registered with MySeviceOttawa can go directly to the forms from their property tax account.
Alternate and accessible options are available to complete all forms
The City has set up alternate options for residents who require accessibility-related support and for those without access to the internet or digital devices – like computers, tablets, and other hand-held devices:
- Call Revenue Services at 613-580-2444 and select option 3 to complete the appeal and declaration forms over the phone or to book an in-person appointment at the Mary Pitt Centre at 100 Constellation Drive.
- Call 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. The service uses the internet and mobile phone technology to connect the caller with real-time sign language interpretation.
Learn more about the Vacant Unit Tax at ottawa.ca/vut. Information summary is also available on the website in Arabic, Somali, Simplified Chinese, and Spanish.