

Places of worship in Iqaluit will not have to pay property taxes in 2026 — after the city set the annual mill rate at a council meeting on Tuesday. A mill rate is a tax rate that is based on a property’s assessed value. City council unanimously voted in favour of having the mill rate set to zero for churches and other places of worship. In 2022, the City of Iqaluit voted to pass a bylaw that meant religious and non-profit organizations would have to pay property tax on non-residential buildings. Under the bylaw organizations could apply for property tax exemptions. After the bylaw rolled out, there was an outcry from the community, with churches in Iqaluit saying that it would cause a financial strain. A petition was started to repeal the bylaw.