Travis County Tax Office

January 21, 2021

You must pay your property taxes by no later than 11:59 p.m., Monday, Feb. 1, to avoid state-mandated penalty and interest charges.

The fast and safe way to pay is by eCheck at www.TravisCountyTax.org. The eCheck payment system automatically emails you a paid receipt for your records. Besides eCheck, you can pay online with a credit card or PayPal. eCheck costs $1 while using a credit card or PayPal adds a 3% charge to your total.

State law holds you responsible for on-time payment, said Bruce Elfant, the county tax assessor-collector. Elfant asked Gov. Greg Abbott to waive penalty and interest charges for those who are unable to pay their entire tax bill because they lost their jobs or businesses due to COVID-19. “As of right now, penalty and interest charges will apply if you pay late,” Elfant added.

Many people try to pay online at the last minute, which can result in them being unable to pay before the deadline. “Waiting until the evening of the deadline, and hoping everything goes according to plan, can be a problem for property owners if the payment does not go through before midnight, resulting in penalty and interest charges for being late,” Elfant said.

This year, the tax office is offering a new tool that allows you to schedule when you want your taxes paid. “Customers asked us for this feature, and we are happy to offer this payment scheduler,” Elfant said.

Elfant warns property owners not to mail in their property tax payment on Feb. 1 to protect against penalty and interest charges.

“If the U.S. Postal Service gives a next-day postmark on your envelope, state law requires us to charge you penalty and interest for being late,” Elfant said. The tax office does not automatically send receipts for mailed payments but does provide them for online transactions.

Property owners who cannot pay in full and want to set up a payment plan can review their payment options and apply online at the tax office website, TravisCountyTax.org. Owners with a senior, disabled or disabled veteran homestead exemption can sign up to pay taxes in four installments without penalty and interest charges.

Property owners who escrow through a mortgage company or lending institution will have their taxes paid by the mortgage company, but property owners need to be aware that should a mortgage company pay late, the property owner is required to pay any penalty and interest charges.

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