Property taxes in Washington, D.C. are billed in two installments each year: the first half is due by March 31 and the second half by September 15. Miss either DC property tax due date and the Office of Tax and Revenue adds a 10 percent penalty immediately, plus 1.5 percent interest for every month (or part of a month) the balance stays unpaid.
The Two Installments and What They Cover
The District’s fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30, and property tax billing follows that same cycle.1D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 1-204.41 – Fiscal Year Your annual tax splits evenly into two bills:
- First half, covering October 1 through March 31, is payable by March 31.
- Second half, covering April 1 through September 30, is payable by September 15.
These deadlines are set by DC Code § 47-811.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 47-811 – Levy and Disposition of Tax; Payment; Penalty for Nonpayment OTR sends a separate bill for each half, so a bill arriving in your mailbox in the spring covers a different period than the one that shows up in late summer.
When the Deadline Falls on a Weekend or Holiday
If March 31 or September 15 lands on a Saturday, Sunday, or District holiday, your payment is due the next business day.3Office of Tax and Revenue. Real Property Tax Bill Due Dates and Delayed Tax Bills
If Your Bill Arrives Late
The statute guarantees at least 30 days between the date a bill is issued and the date payment is due. If OTR sends yours out late, that 30-day window protects you: the penalty clock cannot start running on a bill you never had time to pay.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 47-811 – Levy and Disposition of Tax; Payment; Penalty for Nonpayment
Supplemental Bills Follow a Different Schedule
If you build a new structure, add on to an existing one, or change how the property is used, the District can issue a supplemental assessment on top of your regular bill. Those bills don’t ride the March 31 / September 15 calendar mechanically. Instead, when the supplemental assessment is completed determines when it comes due:
- Assessments completed January through June become effective the following October 1 and are payable by March 31.
- Assessments completed July through December become effective April 1 and are payable by September 15.
OTR must mail notice of a proposed supplemental assessment by August 1 (for first-half assessments) or February 1 (for second-half assessments), giving you a chance to review it before the bill comes due.4D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 47-829 – Taxable Real Estate; New Structures and Additions or Improvements of Old Structures; Complaints and Appeals
If Your Lender Pays Through Escrow
When your mortgage includes an escrow account, your lender is the one cutting the check to the District. Your monthly payment already carries a share of the coming bill, and the lender disburses it before the deadline. The account, however, stays in your name. If an escrow error causes a late payment, the penalty and interest attach to your property, not the lender’s ledger. Compare your annual escrow statement against the actual tax bill each cycle and confirm the payment posted on time.
What Late Payment Costs
Missing either deadline is expensive from day one. DC Code § 47-811 imposes a flat 10 percent penalty on the unpaid balance the moment the payment becomes overdue, and simple interest then accrues at 1.5 percent per month (or any fraction of a month) until you pay in full.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 47-811 – Levy and Disposition of Tax; Payment; Penalty for Nonpayment
Put numbers on it. On a $2,550 half-year installment, the penalty alone is $255. Interest then adds about $38 for every month the balance sits. Six months in, what was a $2,550 bill has grown to roughly $3,034. On larger commercial parcels, the same percentages produce much bigger dollar figures on the same timeline.
Six Months Late: Tax Lien Sale
Delinquency that stretches past six months exposes you to more than penalty math. At that point the District can sell the lien on your property to a third-party investor. The investor pays the outstanding tax, and in return holds a lien against your home. You keep a right of redemption — you can pay off the lien plus penalties and interest — up until a Superior Court judge enters a final order ending that right.5D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 47-1303.04 – Real Property Tax Assignment; Sale and Transfers
Once a lien buyer files a foreclosure action, you are defending a court proceeding rather than paying a bill. If you cannot cover the full amount, contact OTR before the six-month mark. Options exist earlier that no longer exist after a sale.
How to Pay Before the Deadline
Three payment channels are available, and the one you pick affects both cost and how much lead time you need.
Online through MyTax.DC.gov, ACH/eCheck payments are free. Credit card payments (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) carry a 2.25 percent non-refundable convenience fee charged by the processor. Each credit card transaction is capped at $100,000 including the fee, and you can run no more than two credit card transactions per month.6Office of Tax and Revenue. Real Property and Bid Tax Payments, and Electronic Bill Notification
By mail, send a check or money order payable to “DC Treasurer” using the return envelope from your bill. If you need a different envelope, the address is Office of Tax and Revenue, DC Government Real Property Taxes, PO Box 718095, Philadelphia, PA 19171-8095. The Philadelphia address is a lockbox and is correct even though the tax itself is a DC obligation. Build in enough mailing time; postmark rules aside, you don’t want to be tracking an envelope on March 30.6Office of Tax and Revenue. Real Property and Bid Tax Payments, and Electronic Bill Notification
In person, certain banks in the District are authorized to accept property tax payments. Bring your original bill and the bank will issue a receipt. The list of participating institutions changes, so check the OTR website before you go.