05-17-2016, 10:11 PM
(05-17-2016, 09:20 AM)tomh009 Wrote: No. The rates actual are different for vacant land, that is most certainly allowed, and different based on the zoning. But the problem is that the rates are lower for vacant land, and on top of that the property value is lower without a building. I would like to see a property tax rate of 2x or 3x normal for vacant land within the downtown core, which would discourage parking lots and abandoned land.
https://www.kitchener.ca/en/resources/20...es_web.pdf
But massively higher rates for vacant land would be an incentive to build crap just to fit under a different rule.
Some jurisdictions have land value taxes in addition to or instead of property taxes. That would capture a lot of the intent here, that it costs a lot of money to just sit on a downtown property without doing anything with it, but building something on the property won't decrease your tax rate.