When Will I Receive My Texas Property Tax Bill?
The day your property tax bill is mailed out is likely not one that you mark on your calendar, but it may be useful for Texas property owners to pay more attention to the property tax calendar.
In the absence of personal income taxes in Texas, much weight has been placed on the importance of paying property taxes. Delinquent property taxes incur interest and penalties rapidly, leaving many property owners in dire financial straits.
Getting ahead of these penalties by paying your property taxes on time is essential, and the first step is knowing important property tax dates.
When is Your Property Tax Bill Mailed Out in Texas?
Every year, local Appraisal Districts assign representatives (appraisers) to determine the value of Texas properties and, therefore, how much the property tax for each property should be. A Notice of Appraised Value is sent to property owners between April and May each year. This notice includes the appraised value of the property, the preceding year’s taxable and appraised values, details of how to protest your property tax appraisal, exemption information, and other relevant details regarding the property and local taxing units.
Should residential or commercial property owners not agree with the values presented to them, they are then given a reasonable time period to protest the appraised value before these values are certified. In cases where your property boundaries span more than one county, appraisal notices will be sent from each county appraisal district.
After the assessed values have been certified, they are sent to the relevant local taxing unit, which will then set the property tax rates based on their budgetary needs.
Property tax bills are usually mailed out annually in October by applicable Tax Assessor Collectors, after which property owners are given until January 31 the following year to pay the amounts owed. From 1 February each year, any outstanding property tax amounts are considered delinquent, and penalties and interest will start accruing.
Can You View Your Texas Property Tax Bill Online?
Using your county’s Property Tax Account Lookup application, you can find out how much your current taxes are and pay them. By visiting the website of your County’s tax office and making use of the Account Search feature, you can quickly look up your property tax account and what you owe, print a receipt, and pay your property taxes online.
You will be able to:
- See whether you have paid your property taxes (and any outstanding balances)
- See your original, most recent, and previous year’s tax statements
- Sign up for eBill, which enables electronic billing
- Change your address
- Pay your taxes online or print a receipt
- Enroll in a payment plan for your current taxes or delinquent taxes
The Electronic Delivery of Tax Bills in Texas
In accordance with the Texas Tax Code Section 31.01(k), taxpayers and tax assessor-collectors can enter agreements that allow for the electronic delivery of tax statements or bills.
However, it is important to note that failure to send or receive a tax bill, including one that has been requested to be sent electronically, does not affect the validity of the tax, penalty or interest, the due date, the existence of a tax lien, or the procedure instituted to collect that tax. This is the same for tax bills that are physically mailed – you cannot use “I didn’t get my property tax bill” as an excuse for a missed payment, late payment, or getting out of delinquency penalties.
Other Important Property Tax Deadlines
The property tax calendar includes important dates impacting property owners, local appraisal districts, and taxing units. A list of these dates can be found on the Texas Comptroller website, but here is a small summary of the dates relevant to property owners.
A few important events for two separate tax years overlap in one calendar year. So, to help minimize confusion, we have organized these events in the order in which they occur for one tax year. To get answers to any specific queries you may have, be sure to contact your local tax assessor-collector or appraisal district.
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April: Between April and May, notices of appraised value are sent out to property owners. April 30th marks the deadline for property owners to file for various applications and reports with the CAD, mainly regarding exemptions and special appraisal requests.
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May: May 15th is the last day to file property tax protests with the local Appraisal Review Board (or 30 days after the notices of appraised values are delivered – whichever is later).
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September: On September 1st, appraisal districts are required to have their budgets set for the following year.
September 29th is the deadline for government entities to vote on and set a tax rate for the year.
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October: The tax assessor’s office starts mailing out tax bills for the property taxes due the following January, and the tax collection period begins.
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January (the following year): On January 1st, the taxable values and qualification criteria for certain exemptions are set for the tax year. On this date, a tax lien is also attached to each property that has not settled its tax bill to secure the payment of property taxes, penalties, and interest that will be imposed for the year.
January 31st is the final date for property tax payments before accounts are classified as delinquent.
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February (the following year): February 1st officially marks the delinquency date. Any unpaid property taxes from this date are considered delinquent unless a payment plan has been set up. An initial penalty of 6% is added to delinquent accounts, as well as a 1% interest charge.
After the delinquency date, every month that property tax accounts remain delinquent will result in an additional 1% in penalties and interest. These charges are added to the delinquent accounts on the 1st of every month following the delinquency date and only stop accruing once the delinquent property tax bill has been settled.
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May (the following year): On May 2nd, taxing units begin notifying delinquent property owners of the additional penalties, interest, and attorney costs that will be added to their property tax bill should they not settle their outstanding taxes by July. Taxing units will send out these notifications until June 1st. This is in accordance with Texas Property Tax Code Section 33.07(d), which entitles all property owners to be notified of the July penalty at least 30 days (and not more than 60 days) before it is added to their account.
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July (the following year): On July 1st, the biggest property tax penalty of the year is added to delinquent accounts.
What Should You Do if You Can’t Pay Your Property Tax Bill?
Settling your property tax bill as quickly as possible should be a priority for any property owner. You need to act before the payment deadline in order to avoid penalties, minimize costs, and relieve the stress of knowing you still owe money to your local taxing authority.
If you are struggling to pull the money together to pay your property taxes, speak to the compassionate and experienced team at AFIC about a residential or commercial property tax loan. Our team can assist Texas property owners by providing them with structured property tax loans designed to suit each person’s unique financial situation.
At AFIC, we offer our clients an affordable, hassle-free way to ensure that your account with the local government tax office is paid in full and will work out a manageable repayment plan for you. AFIC can provide you with an instant quote by completing the form on our homepage. We can help you pay off your delinquent taxes and offer you the following benefits:
- Quick and completely online process
- No money down
- No credit check* Free 30-day rate match
- Match competitors and beat their rate by 1%
- Avoid high penalties and foreclosure
We pride ourselves on finding solutions to suit the unique needs of our clients. If you would like to discuss our property tax loans and any additional advice on the requirements of your local tax authorities and the details of your property taxes, please contact our experienced team at AFIC today.
