Seine River School Division corrects tax overcharge error

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This article was published 30/05/2023 (858 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Manitoba school division has apologized to taxpayers, after they were overcharged by about 48 cents each due to a calculation error on this year’s special levy.

Lorette-based Seine River School Division said the “unintended” error led to an overstatement of $287,005 in education property taxes.

Based on property values in the division, taxpayers were overcharged by about 12 cents for every $100,000 of property, Seine River said.

That means a homeowner with a property valued at $400,000 will overpay by about 48 cents.

SRSD superintendent Ryan Anderson said the province has asked school divisions to put a hold on municipal education property tax rates since 2020.

In return, divisions receive a property tax offset grant from the government.

Anderson said the error occurred while Seine River calculated taxes for Division scolaire franco-manitobaine. The extra calculation adds a layer of complexity, he said.

DSFM is province-wide and doesn’t have a local tax base. Parents or guardians of DSFM pay taxes to the public school division in which they reside. The funds are transferred to DSFM.

Anderson said the calculating error was discovered by the province while it reviewed the 2023 budget approved by Seine River’s board.

SRSD was notified just over a week ago.

Anderson said it’s difficult to go back and offer refunds, given the current stage of the tax process, and it would be costly to issue refunds of about 50 cents to homeowners.

Next year, he said, the province will deduct $287,005 from the division’s property tax offset grant, with taxpayers being credited the amount overpaid.

The division has schools in communities including St. Norbert, La Salle, Ste. Anne and La Broquerie.

— Staff