Overview
Housing prices in New Brunswick have surged at a pace people haven’t seen before and property tax bills have followed in ways that feel sudden, unpredictable, and unaffordable. A spike in your home’s value shouldn’t automatically mean a spike in your tax bill. Property taxes should reflect the cost of delivering services, not market swings.
We’ve heard New Brunswickers clearly, and we’ve taken steps to make the system more predictable, stable, and transparent for everyone. Local governments will see steady, reliable revenue growth, while most homeowners will be protected from sharp assessment spikes.
Review our FAQs (PDF 140 KB) for more details or visit Property tax.
Reforms include:
- local rate stabilizers to help local governments move away from property taxes based on assessments, and towards property taxes based on their service needs and budget decisions
- an enhanced Property Tax Allowance program to increase benefits and provide support to more qualifying homeowners
- adjustments to the upper and lower boundaries of the existing rate multiplier, giving greater flexibility for local governments to set tax rates for non-residential properties and those with heavy industry
- an extended appeal period to give property owners 30 days to appeal results of a property assessment review; the current appeal period is 21 days
- online assessment notices so New Brunswick property owners can view and download their annual assessment notices online through the Service New Brunswick portal
- a redesigned property tax bill to make the bills more user-friendly and to clearly distinguish between local government and provincial government taxation
- a provincial rate stabilizer to make sure that annual property tax rates are adjusted so that the province receives a prescribed level of annual property tax revenue growth despite changes in property assessments.
The proposed reform also includes the potential for a new heavy industry revenue transfer grant. This would aim to improve fairness by ensuring communities with heavy industries receive more direct financial support to help them cover the additional costs of servicing these properties.
Property tax future state
Fair and equitable : Taxpayers pay amounts that reflect property value and ability to pay, with equitable treatment across property types and local governments.
Transparent and understandable : Improved assessment, billing and appeal processes, with increased communication and clarity.
Predictable and stable : Consistent, predictable tax bills that allow taxpayers and local government to plan confidently, reducing unexpected increases.
Situation examples
Property tax changes
The same house, two different systems
Old system
- Spike Protection Mechanism
- Property Tax Allowance Program
New system
- Spike Protection Mechanism
- Enhanced Property Tax Allowance Program
- Local and Provincial Rate Stabilizers
A senior and long-time homeowner living in a modest valued home
Suzanne is a senior and long-time homeowner living on a fixed annual income of $25,000. Her modest home, assessed at $150,000, saw its assessment value rise by 8.4% this year. Despite the increase, Sally will see her property tax bill go down next year. Thanks to the $400 Enhanced Property Tax Allowance and the new Local Rate Stabilizer, she will pay $73 less than last year, giving her some financial relief as she continues to age in place.
Under the old system
2026 value
$150,000
+8.4% property value
2026 property tax: $2,131*
Increase in value: $196 (+8.4%)
2027 tax bill: $2,327*
($196 more than 2026)
Under the new system
2026 value
$150,000
+8.4% property value
2026 property tax: $2,131*
Increase in value: $196 (+8.4%)
NEW Local Rate Stabilizer : -$69 (-2.9%)
NEW Enhanced allowance:-$200
2027 tax bill: $2,058
($73 less than 2026)
*Property tax amounts already include an existing -$200 allowance which increases to -$400 under new system.
Mid-career professionals living in a medium valued home
Simon and Sunita are mid-career professionals with a combined income of $120,000. They own a suburban home assessed at $260,000, with a 12% increase in assessment this year. They pay full property taxes but will benefit from the Spike Mechanism Protection and Local Rate Stabilizer under the new system. Although their taxes will rise compared to last year, these measures ensure they pay less than they would have under the previous system, keeping their property taxes manageable within their regular household budget.
Under the old system
2026 value
$260,000
+12% property value
2026 property tax: $4,041
Increase in value: $484 (+12%)
Spike protection: -$80
2027 tax bill: $4,445
($404 more than 2026)
Under the new system
2026 value
$260,000
+12% property value
2026 property tax: $4,041
Increase in value: $484 (+12%)
NEW Local Rate Stabilizer : -$120 (-3%)
NEW Spike protection:-$80
2027 tax bill: $4,325
($284 more than 2026)
Family of 3 living in a medium valued home
Omar supports his family with an annual household income of $150,000. His home is assessed at $400,000, with a 1.1% increase in assessment this year. Thanks to the new Local Rate Stabilizer, Omar will pay less in property taxes than he would have under the previous system. His new bill will be $60 less than last year, providing stability and some financial relief.
Under the old system
2026 value
$400,000
+1.1% property value
2026 property tax: $4,892
Increase in value: $54 (+1.1%)
2027 tax bill: $4,946
($54 more than 2026)
Under the new system
2026 value
$400,000
+1.1% property value
2026 property tax: $4,892
Increase in value: $54 (+1.1%)
NEW Local Rate Stabilizer : -$114 (-2.34%)
2027 tax bill: $4,832
($60 less than 2026)
High-earner living in a high valued home
Julie is a high-earning homeowner with an annual income of $250,000. Her home is assessed at $650,000, with a 6.4% increase in assessment this year. Under the old system, that kind of spike would have meant a steep rise in her property taxes. Under the new system, her taxes will rise next year but will amount to less than what she would have paid under the previous system, thanks to the new Local Rate Stabilizer.
Under the old system
2026 value
$650,000
+6.4% property value
2026 property tax: $8,315
Increase in value: $532 (+6.4%)
2027 tax bill: $8,847
($532 more than 2026)
Under the new system
2026 value
$650,000
+6.4% property value
2026 property tax: $8,315
Increase in value: $532 (+6.4%)
NEW Local Rate Stabilizer : -$192 (-2.31%)
2027 tax bill: $8,655
($340 more than 2026)