The gist
Tax statements are usually sent to property owners in October; however Scott Grigg, Collin County Tax Accessor/Collector, said in an email that the previous tax collector decided to wait until after the Nov. 5 election because some school districts had bond elections which would have impacted the statements depending on the vote of the tax payers.
John R. Ames, Dallas County Tax Assessor/Collector, said property taxes are due upon receipt; however, they are not considered delinquent until Feb. 1, meaning the deadline to pay is Jan. 31.
“We, of course, encourage people to pay at least two weeks before the deadline to avoid any issues with mailings or anything like that,” Ames said. “If you wait until the very last minute, you never know what could happen and unfortunately that’s a very expensive mistake.”
What you need to know
Dallas and Collin County residents have several ways to pay, including cash, check, debit or credit card. There are online options for debit and credit card and e-check.
Grigg said penalties for non-payment start at 6% of the overdue balance and increase if the bill remains unpaid. Additional consequences for not paying include legal action and the possibility of the property being seized and sold to pay delinquent taxes.
The most common mistake made by property owners is waiting too long to pay, Ames said, adding that residents should pay as much as they can as early as they can to avoid penalties.
Grigg said the most common mistake he sees are those who have mortgages with an escrow account.
“The tax office sends statements to the mortgage company who will then submit payment out of the homeowner’s escrow account,” Grigg said. “We also send courtesy copies of the tax statement to the homeowner and often they pay the bill forgetting the mortgage company pays the bill. In that case, a refund of the duplicate payment will be issued.”
Other common mistakes include inaccurate property information with a homeowner's payment, which could delay the posting of their payment.
What else?
Property tax due dates are set by the state and are the same for residents of Denton and Tarrant counties.
According to the Denton County Tax Office website, mailed payments must be postmarked by Jan. 31 or will be considered late. This applies for all Texas residents. Payments can also be made in-person and online.
Tarrant County residents can also make payments through the mail, in-person or online.
