How does the BC Speculation and Vacancy Tax declaration work for snowbirds?

Direct answer

There is no snowbird status in the Speculation and Vacancy Tax: someone who winters in Arizona files the same declaration as an owner who never leaves BC. A snowbird is still a Canadian-resident owner for the tax. Three tests decide the outcome: (1) ownership of residential property in a designated SVT area; (2) whether the property was your principal residence for at least six months of the calendar year; (3) whether anyone occupied it for at least six months in periods of at least one month at a time. Snowbirds who maintain BC as their principal residence and travel south for less than six months typically declare under the principal-residence exemption and owe nothing. Someone away for more than six months in a calendar year can still be covered if a tenant or a family member occupied the home for at least six months. Where neither test is met the tax applies. For the 2026 tax year that is 1.0% of assessed value for Canadian citizens and permanent residents and 3.0% for foreign owners and satellite families, both double the 2019 to 2025 rates. A BC resident then subtracts a non-refundable credit worth up to $4,000, so a snowbird who fails every test on a $500,000 condo owes $1,000 rather than $5,000. Foreign owners receive no credit, and their rate rises again to 4.0% for the 2027 tax year. The declaration is due March 31 of the year following each tax year. Failure to declare results in default tax assessment as if the property were vacant — even when an exemption would have applied.