Property tax important dates

There are many important dates throughout the tax year. We are highlighting dates for which we receive the most inquiries. A complete tax calendar with references to the Tax Code is available from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts’ Property Tax Division. 

Payment deadlines that fall on a weekend or holiday move to the next business day.

Property tax calendar

December

December 31:

If you need a paid property tax receipt for Internal Revenue Service income tax purposes, you must pay by the end of December. Please pay by eCheck to receive an immediate, emailed paid receipt.

The appraisal district can begin a mail survey to verify homestead exemption eligibility.

January

Jan. 1

State law requires your appraisal district to determine the market value of your home on Jan. 1. A tax lien automatically attaches to your property to secure tax payments, late penalties and interest.

Jan. 2

Business owners can file their list of personal property. The last day to file this “rendition” is April 15. Travis Central Appraisal District handles this process.

Jan. 10

If you receive a tax bill for the previous year postmarked after Jan. 10 of the next year, it automatically postpones your delinquency date to give you at least 21 days to pay your taxes.

Jan. 31

Last day to pay your property taxes without incurring financial penalties and interest charges. Pay by eCheck to receive an immediate, emailed paid receipt. Note: In the two to three hours before the midnight deadline, the online system can slow down due to the number of people rushing to pay. State law requires us to begin charging penalty and interest at 12:01 a.m., Feb. 1. If Jan. 31 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the last day to pay without penalties and interest moves to Monday.

Last day to pay the first payment of a quarter of your tax bill if your property is within a state-designated disaster area and you are using the installment payment option.

Deadline for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts to publish and deliver its annual Property Value Study to the state’s school districts.

Deadline for Travis Central Appraisal District to grant annual exemptions, agricultural designations and to give public notice of the rate it will use to appraise property with low- and moderate-income housing exemptions.

February

Feb. 1

If you did not pay your property taxes or set up a payment plan, you are officially delinquent and owe financial penalties and interest for being late. State law mandates we apply penalties and interest. We have no authority to waive any of the financial penalties and interest charged by the state.

Feb. 28 (Leap Year Feb. 29)

Last day to enroll in the installment payment option by filing your “Letter of Intent” and paying the first payment of a quarter of your tax bill if you have a homestead exemption for over 65, disabled, disabled veterans, surviving spouses or partially disabled veterans and their spouses. Apply for the payment plan and fill out the Letter of Intent online through our office’s Account Search tool.

March

March 31

Last day to pay the second payment of a quarter of your tax bill if you have a homestead exemption for over-65, disabled, disabled veterans, surviving spouses or partially disabled veterans and their spouses and you are using the installment payment option.

Last day to pay the second payment of a quarter of your tax bill if your property is within a state-designated disaster area and you are using the installment payment option.

April

April 1

Last day for business owners to file rendition list of personal property to Travis Central Appraisal District (unless you applied for and received an extension to May 1 from the district’s chief appraiser).

May

May 1

Last day for business owners with an extension to file rendition list of personal property to the Travis Central Appraisal District.

May 15

Last day to file property tax protests with the Travis Central Appraisal District. You can file your protest online.

May 31

Last day to pay the third payment of a quarter of your tax bill if you have a homestead exemption for over-65, disabled, disabled veterans, surviving spouse or partially disabled veterans and their spouses and you are using the installment payment option.

Last day to pay the third payment of a quarter of your tax bill if your property is within a state-designated disaster area and you are using the installment payment option.

June

June 30

Deadline to create a new government entity, such as a city, with the ability to tax property owners. New government entities created after this date can tax property owners the following year.

Deadline for government entities to vote on and adopt percentage exemptions for homestead properties. For example, a city that wants to give you an additional 10% off your property’s taxable value must do so by this date.

July

July 1

If you are still delinquent on your taxes, the penalty on what you owe climbs to 12% on this day. Interest continues to accrue, adding one percent for each month you are late. See our penalty and interest chart.

July 20

Appraisal Review Board submits the appraised value of all properties within the boundaries of each government entity to the Travis Central Appraisal District. State law gives urban counties, like Travis County, an Aug. 30 deadline.

July 25

Travis Central Appraisal District’s chief appraiser certifies the appraised values of all properties that government entities will use to set your tax rates. The resulting list is called the appraisal roll and it is provided to the elected or appointed officials of the government entity so they can set their budget and tax rates. If the Appraisal Review board extends the deadline and approves the appraisal roll later, the certification of appraised values will happen within five days of approval.

July 31

Last day to pay the final payment of your tax bill if you have a homestead exemption for over-65, disabled, disabled veterans, surviving spouse or partially disabled veterans and their spouses and you are using the installment payment option.

Last day to pay the final payment of your quarterly tax bill if your property is within a state-designated disaster area.

September

September 29

Deadline for government entities to vote on and adopt a tax rate for the current year. Property owners can calculate how the proposed rates will impact property taxes and when the government entities will be holding public hearings at Travis Taxes Truth-in-Taxation.

October

October 1

The property tax collection period begins for the current year. State law allows us to begin mailing tax bills on Oct. 1. However, we must wait for all government entities to send their tax rate to our office, and the results of elections (such as a bond election) where voters may decide additional tax rates, before we can mail out tax bills. The fastest way to receive your tax bill is by email by signing up for eBill.