In Texas, the property tax due date is January 31. Technically, the tax is due the moment your local tax assessor mails the bill in the fall, but the date that actually matters is January 31 of the following year. Anything unpaid on February 1 becomes delinquent and immediately starts accruing penalties and interest.1State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 31.02 – Delinquency Date Texas has no state property tax; every dollar goes to local taxing units, but the state Tax Code controls the deadlines and penalties that apply everywhere.2Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax System Basics
When the Bill Arrives and When It Is Delinquent
Tax assessors begin mailing bills on or around October 1 each year.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Law Deadlines You have from that mailing until January 31 to pay without penalty. One exception matters: if the taxing unit mails your bill after January 10, the delinquency date shifts to the first day of the month following the month in which the bill was sent. That gives you extra time when the county is late, not when you are.
Texas Tax Code Section 1.06 also protects you when the last day is not a business day. If January 31 falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or state or national holiday, your payment is timely if you make it on the next regular business day.3Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Law Deadlines Check the calendar each year rather than assuming January 31 is always your hard stop.
Split Payment Option
Some taxing units let you pay in halves instead of a lump sum. Pay at least half of the bill before December 1, and you have until July 1 to pay the balance with no penalty or interest.4State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 31.03 – Split Payment of Taxes This option only exists where the local governing body has formally adopted it, so confirm with your tax assessor-collector before relying on it. Miss the first half by December 1 and the split is gone; the full amount is due January 31 under the standard rule.
Installment Plan for Over-65, Disabled, and Disabled Veteran Homeowners
Texas Tax Code Section 31.031 lets qualifying homeowners pay in four equal installments. You must be at least 65, disabled, or a disabled veteran (including an unmarried surviving spouse of one), and you must own and occupy the property as your primary residence with the corresponding homestead exemption in place.5State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 31.031 – Installment Payments of Certain Homestead Taxes
When the standard February 1 delinquency date applies, the four installments are due:
- First installment: before February 1, along with written notice to the taxing unit that you intend to use the plan
- Second installment: before April 1
- Third installment: before June 1
- Fourth installment: before August 1
You can pay more than the required amount on any installment, and the excess rolls forward as a credit. Miss one, though, and the unpaid portion becomes delinquent immediately with a 6% penalty plus 1% monthly interest.5State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 31.031 – Installment Payments of Certain Homestead Taxes There is no grace period.
A separate plan under Section 31.032 exists for homeowners and certain businesses whose property was damaged in a governor-declared disaster area. If your county has been through a hurricane, flood, or similar event, ask your local tax office whether that plan has been activated.
Penalties and Interest If You Pay Late
On February 1, a 6% penalty and 1% interest attach to the unpaid balance. Each additional month adds another 1% penalty and another 1% interest.6State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest On a $5,000 tax bill, that pattern looks like this:
- February 1: 6% penalty + 1% interest = $350 added
- April 1: 8% penalty + 3% interest = $550 total surcharge
- June 1: 10% penalty + 5% interest = $750 total surcharge
- July 1: penalty locks at a flat 12% + 6% interest = $900 total surcharge
July 1 is a second inflection point. The cumulative penalty stops climbing and stays at 12% regardless of how many more months the tax remains unpaid. Interest keeps accruing at 1% per month after that.6State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest
The Additional Collection Penalty
On top of the 12% penalty and monthly interest, taxing units that have contracted with a collections attorney can impose an additional penalty to cover legal costs. The amount cannot exceed the compensation the taxing unit agreed to pay the attorney, but these contracts commonly run up to 20% of the delinquent taxes.7State of Texas. Texas Code TAX 33.07 – Additional Penalty for Collection Costs A homeowner who lets a $5,000 tax bill go unpaid past July 1 could owe nearly 40% on top of the original amount once the collection penalty attaches. This is where a delinquent bill turns into a genuine financial emergency.
Liens, Foreclosure, and Your Mortgage
A property tax lien attaches to your property on January 1 of the tax year, before the bill has even been issued. Once taxes are delinquent, a taxing unit can file a lawsuit to foreclose on that lien at any time. There is no mandatory waiting period. Most jurisdictions give homeowners some breathing room in practice, but no delay is guaranteed by law.
Since 2018, the three major credit bureaus have not included property tax liens on consumer credit reports, so a delinquent tax bill will not directly hit your credit score. Tax liens remain public records, though, and lenders and title companies check those records. A lien will complicate any attempt to refinance, take out a home equity loan, or sell the property until the debt is cleared.
If you have a mortgage, delinquent taxes create a second problem. Most mortgage agreements let the lender demand full repayment of the loan if you fail to pay property taxes, because the government’s tax lien takes priority over the mortgage. In practice, lenders more often advance the money, add it to your loan balance, and require an escrow account going forward. They are not obligated to be that accommodating.
How to Pay on Time
Locate your property account number, sometimes called a PID or geographic ID, on your tax statement. You can look up your balance on your county tax assessor-collector’s website using that number. Some properties fall under multiple overlapping taxing units, each with its own bill, so confirm you are paying every one.
Most counties accept payment online, by mail, or in person. If you mail a check or money order, the U.S. Postal Service postmark is your legal proof of the payment date.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. U.S. Postal Service Policy Change Affects Postmark Timing A letter postmarked January 31 counts as timely even if it arrives days later. The USPS no longer always postmarks mail on the day it enters the system, though. If you are cutting it close, take the envelope to the counter and ask for a stamped receipt rather than dropping it in a collection box.
Online payments go through third-party portals. Credit and debit card payments typically carry a convenience fee of around 2% to 2.5%, while electronic check (ACH) is usually free or a small flat fee. Save the digital confirmation number as proof of timely payment.
If Your Mortgage Servicer Pays Through Escrow
Most Texas homeowners with a mortgage have their property taxes paid through an escrow account. Your servicer collects a portion of the estimated annual tax with each monthly payment, holds the funds, and pays the county when the bill comes due. Under federal RESPA rules, the servicer can hold a cushion of no more than two months of escrow payments.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1024.17 – Escrow Accounts
If your servicer mishandles the escrow and taxes go unpaid, you are still the property owner responsible for the resulting lien. Federal law requires servicers to make escrow disbursements on time, and a pattern of late payments can expose the servicer to liability for penalties you incur, but recovering those costs takes effort. Review the annual escrow analysis statement your servicer must send within 30 days of the end of each computation year, and confirm your taxes were paid by January 31.9Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1024.17 – Escrow Accounts Do not assume it happened just because the servicer collected the money.