El Dorado County property tax is 1% of your property’s assessed value under Proposition 13, plus voter-approved bond debt and direct charges from special districts. The bill is split into two installments: the first is due November 1 and becomes delinquent after December 10, and the second is due February 1 and becomes delinquent after April 10. The El Dorado County Assessor sets the taxable value, and the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends the bill and collects payment.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Proposition 13 caps the base property tax rate at 1% of assessed value and limits annual increases in that assessed value to no more than 2%, regardless of what the market does.1California State Board of Equalization. Publication 800-10 Information Sheet Your assessed value is set when you buy the property or complete new construction, based on the purchase price or construction cost. Each year after, the county can raise it by no more than the California Consumer Price Index change or 2%, whichever is lower.
On top of the 1% levy, your bill carries voter-approved bond debt for schools and infrastructure, plus direct charges from special districts for things like fire protection, lighting, parks, and mosquito abatement. Many El Dorado County properties also carry Mello-Roos special taxes that fund community facilities districts in newer developments. Mello-Roos charges are flat-rate assessments set by the district rather than a percentage of assessed value, so they don’t change when your property is reassessed. Your bill breaks down which agencies and districts receive each portion of the payment.
Due Dates and Late Penalties
El Dorado County runs on California’s July 1 through June 30 fiscal year, and the annual bill is paid in two installments:2El Dorado County. Secured Property Tax Dates to Remember
- First installment: due November 1, delinquent after December 10.
- Second installment: due February 1, delinquent after April 10.
Under California Revenue and Taxation Code Section 2617, taxes become delinquent at 5 p.m. or the close of business on the deadline, whichever is later. If December 10 or April 10 falls on a weekend or holiday, the delinquency date shifts to the next business day. Missing either deadline triggers a 10% penalty on the unpaid amount.3California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 2618 Mailed payments must carry a USPS postmark on or before the delinquency date. A late postmark means the penalty applies, no matter when you wrote the check.
If both installments stay unpaid through June 30, the property becomes tax-defaulted on July 1 and a 1.5% monthly penalty begins compounding on the unpaid balance.
How to Pay
The Treasurer-Tax Collector accepts three payment methods:4El Dorado County. How to Pay Your Property Tax Bill
- Online at taxcollector.edcgov.us. An e-check (EFT) costs a flat $0.75; a credit or debit card costs 1.95% with a $1.95 minimum. On a larger bill, e-check is the cheapest electronic option by a wide margin.5El Dorado County Treasurer and Tax Collector. El Dorado County On-Line Tax Bills
- By mail, with your payment stub, to El Dorado County Tax Collector, P.O. Box 678002, Placerville, CA 95667-8002.
- In person at the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s office with cash, check, or card. Bring your payment stub or parcel number so the payment posts correctly.
Online and in-person payments confirm immediately. Mailed checks take longer to process, so don’t wait until the last few days before a delinquency date if you’re using the mail.
Supplemental and Escape Bills
When property changes hands or new construction finishes, the county doesn’t wait for the next annual roll. California’s supplemental assessment system, under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 75, recalculates the tax right away to capture the difference between the old assessed value and the new market value.6California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 75 The supplemental bill covers only the period from the date of the change through the end of the fiscal year, so the amount is prorated. These bills arrive separately from your annual bill, often months after a transaction closes.
Escape assessments are different. They cover property that was under-assessed or missed entirely in a prior year. If the additional tax on an escape assessment is more than $500, you can request a four-year installment plan by filing a written request with the Tax Collector before the second installment delinquency date on the escape bill.7California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 4837.5 You pay at least 20% up front and reduce the balance by another 20% each year. Regular annual property taxes are not eligible for installment plans.
Supplemental and escape bills have their own due dates printed on the notice, separate from the November and February deadlines. A 10% penalty applies to late payments on these bills even if your regular annual taxes are current.
Exemptions That Lower Your Bill
Several exemptions can reduce your El Dorado County bill, but none are automatic. You have to apply.
Homeowners’ Exemption
If you own and occupy your home as your primary residence on January 1 (the lien date), you qualify for a $7,000 reduction in assessed value.8California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Homeowners’ Exemption At the 1% base rate, that saves about $70 a year before bond and district charges. File Form BOE-266 with the El Dorado County Assessor. It’s a one-time filing, but first-time claims must be submitted by February 15 to receive the full exemption for that year. If you sell the home or stop living there, notify the Assessor by December 10 to avoid penalties.
Disabled Veterans’ Exemption
Veterans rated 100% disabled by the VA, or compensated at the 100% rate due to individual unemployability, can claim an exemption on their primary residence. For 2026, the basic exemption reduces assessed value by $180,671 with no income limit. A larger low-income exemption of $271,009 is available if your 2025 total household income was $81,131 or less.9El Dorado County. Claim for Disabled Veterans Property Tax Exemption BOE-261-G The low-income exemption requires annual filing by February 15 for the full amount. Claims filed between February 15 and December 10 receive 90%; claims filed later receive 85%.
Transfers Under Proposition 19
Proposition 19, which took effect in stages beginning in 2021, reshaped two parts of California property tax law: base year value transfers for certain homeowners, and the parent-child exclusion from reassessment.
Base Year Value Transfers
Homeowners who are at least 55, severely disabled, or victims of a wildfire or natural disaster can transfer the taxable value of their primary residence to a replacement home anywhere in California, purchased or newly constructed within two years of selling the original.10California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Proposition 19 Base Year Value Transfer Guidance If the replacement costs the same or less than the original, you keep the same taxable value. If it costs more, the difference between the two sale prices is added to your old taxable value. Seniors and disabled homeowners can use this transfer up to three times. The claim must be filed within three years of buying the replacement home for full relief.
Parent-Child Transfers
Before Proposition 19, children who inherited a parent’s home kept the parent’s low assessed value regardless of use. Now the exclusion from reassessment applies only if the child uses the inherited home as their primary residence and files for the homeowners’ or disabled veterans’ exemption within one year of the transfer.11California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Proposition 19 Fact Sheet Even then there’s a value cap: the excluded amount is limited to the property’s taxable value at the time of transfer plus $1,044,586 (the inflation-adjusted figure for transfers through February 15, 2027). Any market value above that cap is added to the new taxable value. The claim must be filed within three years of the transfer; late filing means prospective relief only, starting the year you file.
Appealing Your Assessed Value
If you think your assessed value is too high, start with an informal review. Contact the Assessor between January and late spring and request a decline-in-value review for the upcoming year. There’s no fee, and the correction can happen without a formal hearing when comparable sales clearly support a lower value.
If that doesn’t work, file a formal Assessment Appeal Application (Form BOE-305-AH) with a $40 non-refundable processing fee.12El Dorado County. Assessment Appeal Application The filing window for regular assessments runs from July 2 through September 15 if the Assessor sent value notices by August 1, or through November 30 if notices were not sent. The application must state your opinion of value or it will be rejected. For supplemental and escape assessments, the filing deadline is 60 days from the date on the notice. The Appeals Board has two years from the date a complete application is filed to decide the case.
If You Fall Behind
After the delinquency dates pass, the 10% penalty attaches. If taxes remain unpaid through June 30, the property becomes tax-defaulted on July 1, and a 1.5% monthly penalty begins accruing on the unpaid taxes, applied on the last day of each month.13California State Controller. Public Auctions and Bidder Information
You can redeem the property any time during the next five years by paying all delinquent taxes, penalties, and accrued interest. After five years of tax default on residential property (three years for commercial property), the Tax Collector can sell the property at public auction.14California Legislative Information. California Revenue and Taxation Code 3691 Before any sale, the county must publish notice three times in a local newspaper and notify the State Controller’s Office at least 45 days in advance. The county then has four years to attempt the sale. If your home was damaged in a declared disaster area, the five-year clock pauses until five years after the damage occurred.
Property Tax Postponement
California’s Property Tax Postponement program lets qualifying homeowners defer current-year taxes rather than pay out of pocket. You must be at least 62, blind, or disabled, with total household income of $55,181 or less and at least 40% equity in the home.15California State Controller. Property Tax Postponement The deferred taxes become a lien repaid when the home is sold or transferred. The filing window for the 2025–26 fiscal year runs from October 1, 2025, through February 10, 2026. Applications are available through the State Controller’s Office at (800) 952-5661.