Property taxes in the City of Menasha are billed by the city but split across two counties: Winnebago on one side of the municipal border and Calumet on the other. Which county your property sits in determines your mill rate, where your second installment goes, and which online portal shows your bill. The city handles the first payment either way, and the January 31 deadline is the same no matter which side of town you live on.
How Your Tax Bill Is Calculated
The City Assessor sets the fair market value of every property as of January 1. Under Wisconsin law, real property must be valued at the full price it could ordinarily bring in a private sale, using methods set out in the Wisconsin Property Assessment Manual.1Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code Chapter 70 – General Property Taxes
That assessed value is then multiplied by the mill rate, which represents the tax owed per $1,000 of value. The mill rate isn’t one number set by one body. It combines levies from the city, the county, the school district, and other local taxing jurisdictions, each adopting its own budget. For 2025, the city’s share alone was $6.89 per $1,000 for properties on the Winnebago County side and $6.97 on the Calumet County side.2City of Menasha. 2025 Tax Bill Update from Mayor Hammond The full rate, with county and school levies layered in, is significantly higher. A home assessed at $200,000 with a combined mill rate of 22.00 would owe $4,400 in gross taxes before credits.
Credits That Reduce What You Owe
Gross tax is not what you actually pay. Several credits are subtracted automatically before the “Net Property Tax” line, and most require no action from you.
- First Dollar Credit. Every Wisconsin parcel with a building or other real property improvement qualifies. No application needed.3Wisconsin Department of Revenue. DOR Wisconsin Lottery and Gaming Credit Program
- Lottery and Gaming Credit. Funded by Wisconsin Lottery proceeds, this goes to Wisconsin residents who own and occupy a dwelling as their primary residence on January 1. The amount is based on the applicable school tax rate. If you miss the January 31 deadline to claim it, you can file a late application with the Wisconsin Department of Revenue by October 1.3Wisconsin Department of Revenue. DOR Wisconsin Lottery and Gaming Credit Program
- School Levy Tax Credit. A state-funded credit that reduces the school district portion of your bill and is applied automatically.
The figure left after these credits is your net property tax: the number you actually need to pay.
Payment Deadlines
Wisconsin law gives you two options. Pay in full by January 31, or split the bill into two equal installments with the first due January 31 and the second due July 31.4Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 74.11 – Dates for Payment of Taxes The first installment goes to the City of Menasha Treasurer. The second installment goes to the treasurer for whichever county your property is in, Winnebago or Calumet.
There is a narrow grace period in the statute. The installment option is not formally revoked until five working days after January 31, and if January 31 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, that window extends through the close of business on the first Friday in February.4Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Statutes 74.11 – Dates for Payment of Taxes Do not treat it as extra time. If the first installment is not received within that window, the entire remaining balance becomes delinquent as of February 1, and you lose the right to pay in installments at all.5Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 74.12 – Delinquent First Installment
How to Pay
You need your parcel ID number and net amount due, both of which appear on your tax bill. If you don’t have the bill handy, you can look it up through the Winnebago County or Calumet County property information portals by name or address.6Winnebago County, WI. Property Information
The city accepts payment several ways:
- By mail. Send a check or money order payable to the City of Menasha at 100 Main Street, Suite 200, Menasha, WI 54952. Include the payment stub, and a self-addressed stamped envelope if you want a receipt.7City of Menasha. 2024 Tax Bills
- Drop box. A secure depository in the City Hall parking lot is available around the clock.7City of Menasha. 2024 Tax Bills
- Online. The city’s payment portal accepts credit cards, debit cards, and electronic checks. Credit and debit card payments carry a 2.35% processing fee. E-checks cost $0.50.8City of Menasha. Payment Options
If your mortgage includes an escrow account, your lender likely pays the bill directly. Lenders review escrow balances at least once a year, and a jump in your assessed value or mill rate can create a shortage that raises your monthly payment. You can usually either pay the shortage in a lump sum or spread it across the next twelve months of payments.
What Happens If You Pay Late
Once the grace period ends and the balance is delinquent, interest accrues at 1% per month, calculated retroactively to February 1. The county or city may also add a penalty of up to 0.5% per month, bringing the combined charge to as much as 1.5% per month.9Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 74.47 – Interest and Penalty on Delinquent Taxes Because the clock starts on February 1 regardless of when you actually fall behind, someone who misses the July 31 second installment owes six months of accumulated interest and penalties the day they go delinquent.
Tax Deed Foreclosure
If taxes stay unpaid, the county eventually issues a tax certificate on the property. After the certificate has been outstanding for two years, the county can begin an in rem foreclosure proceeding under Wisconsin law. The county treasurer publishes a notice listing affected parcels and sets a redemption deadline at least eight weeks out. During that window, you can still save the property by paying all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and the county’s costs for starting the proceeding.10Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 75.521 – In Rem Foreclosure
If you don’t redeem by that deadline, the circuit court issues a final judgment transferring ownership to the county. You and anyone claiming an interest through you are permanently barred from the property. This unfolds faster than many homeowners expect.
Challenging Your Assessment
If your assessed value seems too high compared to what your home would actually sell for, Wisconsin provides a two-step appeals process.
Open Book
The first step is the Open Book period, an informal session where the assessment roll is available for public inspection and the assessor is present for at least two hours to answer questions.11Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code Chapter 70 – General Property Taxes This is where you review the data behind your assessment, point out factual errors, and discuss comparable sales. No sworn testimony. Many disputes get resolved here without a formal hearing. Bring recent sale prices of similar homes in your neighborhood, photographs of conditions the assessor may not have seen, and documentation of anything that affects your home’s value.
Board of Review
If Open Book doesn’t resolve things, you can file a formal objection with the Board of Review, which hears sworn testimony and weighs evidence from both sides. To preserve your right to appear, give the board’s clerk written or oral notice of your intent to object at least 48 hours before the board’s first scheduled meeting. Miss that and you can still request a waiver by showing up during the first two hours of the first meeting and demonstrating good cause, or up to the fifth day of the session if you can prove extraordinary circumstances.12Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 70.47 – Board of Review
An independent appraisal from a licensed appraiser is the strongest evidence you can bring. It should be recent enough to reflect conditions near the January 1 assessment date. Professional residential appraisals typically cost between $250 and $1,300 depending on the property’s size and complexity, so weigh that cost against the potential tax savings before commissioning one.
Additional Relief Through the State Income Tax Return
Beyond the credits that appear on your tax bill, Wisconsin offers two more that homeowners claim separately.
Homestead Credit
The Wisconsin Homestead Credit is a state income tax credit for lower-income homeowners and renters. For the 2025 tax year, you qualify if your household income is below $24,680 and you are at least 62 years old, disabled, or had earned income during the year. The maximum credit is $1,168.13Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Homestead Credit Tax Year 2025 You claim it by filing Schedule H with your Wisconsin income tax return. The credit is refundable, so you receive the money even if you owe no state income tax.
Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit
Wisconsin veterans with a 100% service-connected VA disability rating, or those rated as individually unemployable, can receive a refundable credit covering the full amount of property taxes paid on their primary residence and up to one acre of land. Unremarried surviving spouses of qualifying veterans may also be eligible. The veteran must have entered active duty as a Wisconsin resident or lived in the state for at least five consecutive years afterward.14Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans and Surviving Spouses Property Tax Credit Qualifying veterans should not leave this one unclaimed.