Changes to the program will simplify Farm Business Registration process for producers
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Farmland owners have a new primary contact for the Farm Property Class Tax Rate program, commonly known as the Farm Tax program.
Although the government has made no program changes, producers “will now contact Agricorp for eligibility and enrolment, instead of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA),” an Agricorp
update said today.
The change will simplify the process for producers who already contact Agricorp for the Farm Business Registration (FBR) program, which is a necessary component of the Farm Tax program.
Through the latter program, farmland owners receive a reduced property tax rate. Eligible farmland is taxed at “no more than 25 per cent of the municipality's residential property tax rate,” the Agricorp update said.
Agricorp, the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), and municipalities work collaboratively to deliver the program.
The municipality provides property tax rates and applies the farm property class tax rate to its bills, the Agricorp update said. MPAC evaluates property as farmland and regulates its value. Agricorp provides landowners with an application to determine program eligibility when purchasing farmland.
Agricorp’s call centre has extended its hours, now operating from Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information about the Farm Tax Program, click
here.
Farms.com has reached out to Agricorp for comment.
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