Texas property taxes are due when you receive your bill in the fall, and the final deadline to pay without penalty is January 31 of the following year. Any amount still unpaid on February 1 is delinquent and immediately starts accruing penalties and interest. So the practical answer to when are property taxes due in Texas is simple: pay by January 31, or the bill grows fast.
The Payment Deadline, Step by Step
County tax offices begin mailing bills in October. The bill is technically due on receipt, but you have until January 31 to pay without penalty. If January 31 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline rolls to the next business day.1Texas Comptroller. Taxes Property Tax Assistance Paying Your Taxes
There is one exception. If your bill is mailed after January 10, the deadline shifts: you get until the first day of the next month that gives you at least 21 days to pay.2Texas Comptroller. Penalty Tax Bills
One trap catches a lot of homeowners. Not receiving a bill does not excuse you from penalties. The tax, penalties, interest, and lien are all valid whether or not the bill ever reached your mailbox. If mid-January arrives and nothing has shown up, call your county tax assessor-collector right away.1Texas Comptroller. Taxes Property Tax Assistance Paying Your Taxes
What Happens If You Pay Late
Penalties and interest start the moment the tax goes delinquent, and the schedule is designed to make waiting expensive. On February 1, a 6% penalty plus 1% interest attaches. Each additional month adds another 1% penalty and another 1% interest. On July 1, the penalty jumps to a flat 12% and stays there, but interest keeps climbing at 1% per month for as long as the tax remains unpaid.3State of Texas. Texas Code TX 33.01 – Penalties and Interest
On a $5,000 bill, that works out to roughly:
- February 1: $350 added (6% penalty + 1% interest)
- April 1: $550 added (8% penalty + 3% interest)
- July 1: $900 added (12% penalty + 6% interest)
- December 1: $1,150 added (12% penalty + 11% interest)
If your account is turned over to a collections attorney, expect an additional fee of up to 20% of the total taxes, penalties, and interest owed. On a moderately sized bill, that fee alone runs into the thousands.4Texas Comptroller – Texas.gov. Penalty Tax Bills
The Lien and Foreclosure Risk
A tax lien automatically attaches to every taxable property in Texas on January 1 of each year, securing that year’s taxes along with any penalties and interest. The taxing unit does not have to file anything to make the lien enforceable.5State of Texas. Texas Code TX Chapter 32 – Tax Liens and Personal Liability
Fall far enough behind and a taxing unit can sue to foreclose on the lien, which means your home can be sold at public auction to cover the unpaid amount and legal costs. Texas homestead protections that shield your home from most creditors do not block a property tax foreclosure. Active-duty servicemembers may have additional protections under the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which restricts certain foreclosures during and shortly after active-duty service.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
One point of relief: delinquent Texas property taxes no longer appear on your credit report. All three major credit bureaus stopped reporting tax liens by 2018. The lien still exists as a public record and can complicate a sale or refinance, but it will not directly lower your credit score.
How to Pay Before the Deadline
Most county tax assessor-collector offices accept online payments by eCheck, debit card, or credit card. Credit and debit card payments usually carry a convenience fee based on a percentage of the amount paid. You can also pay by mail with a check or money order; the postmark date is what counts, so a payment postmarked by January 31 is timely even if it arrives a few days later. In-person payment at the county tax office is also an option.1Texas Comptroller. Taxes Property Tax Assistance Paying Your Taxes
If Your Mortgage Includes Escrow
When your mortgage payment includes an escrow account, your servicer collects a portion of the estimated annual property taxes each month and pays the county on your behalf. Federal regulations require mortgage servicers to make escrow payments on or before the deadline to avoid penalties.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation X 1024.34 – Timely Escrow Payments and Treatment of Escrow Account Balances
Don’t assume this always goes smoothly. Servicers occasionally miss deadlines or pay the wrong amount. Call your county tax office in January to confirm payment was received. If the servicer paid late and penalties were charged, the servicer is responsible for covering those costs, but working through the dispute takes time you’d rather not spend.
Ways to Legitimately Pay After January 31
Two programs let qualifying homeowners pay later without triggering the standard penalty schedule. Both require you to meet eligibility rules and, in the case of the deferral, to file paperwork.
Quarterly Installment Plan
Homeowners who are 65 or older, who have a disability exemption on their homestead, or who are qualifying disabled veterans can split property taxes into four equal payments. Installments are due January 31, March 31, May 31, and July 31. You must pay the first installment by the January 31 delinquency date and include a written notice telling the taxing unit you intend to pay in installments.8Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Property Tax Assistance – Payment Options
No penalty or interest accrues on the later installments as long as each one arrives on time. Miss any installment deadline and the remaining balance becomes subject to the standard penalty and interest schedule.
Full Tax Deferral
Homeowners who are 65 or older, disabled, or qualifying disabled veterans can defer property taxes on their homestead entirely by filing a tax deferral affidavit with the county appraisal district. Once filed, no taxing unit can sue you for delinquent taxes or sell your home at a tax sale as long as you continue to own and occupy it.9Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Deferred Property Tax Payments
The taxes are not canceled. They accumulate with 5% interest per year. No additional penalties accrue during the deferral, though any penalties that existed before you filed the affidavit remain. When you sell the home, move out, or pass away (unless a qualifying surviving spouse continues to occupy it), all deferred taxes and interest come due. Taxing units then have 181 days after delivering a delinquency notice to begin collection.10State of Texas. Texas Code TX 33.06 – Deferred Collection of Taxes on Residence Homestead of Elderly or Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran
A note on scope: the January 31 payment deadline is separate from the deadline to protest your appraised value, which is a different process with its own May 15 filing cutoff. Protesting the appraisal does not change when the tax itself is due.