Get Tax Certificates Instantly: Everything You Need to Know about TCOL

What is a Tax Certificate and Why Do I Need One???

A property tax certificate is a key document used during the sale/purchase or refinancing of a property. It shows a property’s current tax status, including any outstanding taxes or arrears. As a buyer or buyer’s representative, you want to ensure that all tax liabilities are settled before ownership is transferred.??

According to the Canadian Bar Association, it is best practice to confirm tax status regardless of whether a title insurance policy is obtained.??

Who Issues Tax Certificates??

Tax certificates are usually issued by the municipality where the property is located. For most lawyers dealing with multiple property transactions, this entails contacting each municipality individually and waiting for physical copies of tax certificates to be mailed. This can sometimes be an arduous process, as municipal staff deal with a high volume of requests.??

There is, however, a more efficient way to do this. Dye and Durham’s TCOL solution allows you to order tax certificates online, from various municipalities, using a single touchpoint. One account gets you access to all participating municipalities, significantly reducing the time and effort it takes to get tax certificates.?

So, what exactly is TCOL??

What is TCOL???

Tax Certificate Online (TCOL) is a fast and convenient way to obtain municipal tax certificates electronically. It is currently the only solution in the market that allows users to obtain tax certificates from over 120 municipalities across British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta in a matter of seconds. Each year, TCOL delivers more than 150,000 tax certificates to lawyers, notaries and individuals who need them.?

How Much Does TCOL Cost???

There is no additional cost to use TCOL. The price of tax certificates varies across cities and municipalities. Visit our website to see a current list of participating municipalities and pricing in British Columbia, Ontario and Alberta. Be sure to check the list regularly as many more municipalities are signing up to deliver tax certificates through the TCOL platform.?

Features and Benefits of TCOL?

TCOL offers numerous benefits to both the municipalities who adopt the platform and individuals who use it to search for tax certificates:?

For lawyers, notaries and individual users:??

• Timesaving: Obtaining tax certificates through TCOL happens in a matter of seconds, freeing up time to focus on other aspects of the property transaction.??
• Convenience: You no longer have to deal with multiple municipalities independently to get access to tax certificates – TCOL provides a centralized, single point of access to obtain these documents electronically.?
• Dedicated support: Dye & Durham has a dedicated Help Desk to assist all TCOL users in the order, payment, and fulfillment process for tax certificates.?

For municipalities:??

• Efficient customer management: Administrative tasks such as account setup, new-user addition, sign-on support, and all other customer service calls are handled by TCOL. This frees up municipal staff to concentrate on other pressing matters.??
• Improved financial services: Dye & Durham manages the entire revenue collection process and guarantees payments overnight, thereby improving cash flow and process efficiency. With zero handling or transaction fees, municipalities can expect increased revenue.?
• Enhanced security: Municipalities who deliver tax certificates through TCOL take advantage of Dye & Durham’s robust security architecture to provide their customers with a seamless, secure experience.?

How to use TCOL?

TCOL is fast and easy to use. Simply create a free account, enter a few details (including the property identifier, e.g., parcel identification (PID) or roll/ARN number), and make payment by credit card or through the myLTSA portal for BC users. Once that’s done, the requested tax certificate will be available to view or download in PDF. You can also download a copy of your purchase receipt. The “purchase history” tab gives you perpetual access to purchased tax certificates and receipts.?

For detailed user guides and process flows, click here. Sign up to use TCOL by completing the form here.?

Dye & Durham remains committed to enabling legal professionals to achieve more growth with less effort by providing best-in-class practice management solutions. Visit our website to browse all our solutions.?

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