Travis County property owners have until this Friday (Jan. 31) to pay their property taxes without incurring penalties or interest. According to the county tax office, as of Monday morning, 68 percent of the 2024 property taxes due had been collected, leaving more than $2 billion outstanding. “We expect to see an uptick in the final days of the month so property owners should skip the trip to our office if they do not need to speak directly with a tax specialist and instead pay their taxes online,” Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Celia Israel said in a statement to the press. “Any payment is better than no payment at all. If you are unable to pay the full amount, pay as much as you can before the deadline and then contact our office to discuss payment plan options.” The state mandates penalty and interest charges of 7 percent, and those charges increase monthly if the balance of taxes owed is not paid. Property owners can pay their taxes online at TravisCountyTax.org. For those who mail a check, Israel recommends hand-delivering it through a postal clerk, who can postmark it on the spot and ensure a Jan. 31 postmark.
Elizabeth Pagano is the editor of the Austin Monitor. More by Elizabeth Pagano