Waller County Tax Office collects for the following entities:
City of Hempstead (CHD), Brookshire Katy Drainage (DBK), Waller-Harris ESD (ESD), Waller County (GWA), Farm to Market (FM), Hempstead ISD (SHD), and Royal ISD (SRL).
RECEIVING OR NOT RECEIVING A TAX BILL DOES NOT WAVE PENALTY OR INTEREST!
Under the Texas Property Tax Code, failure to receive a tax statement does not relieve a property owner of the obligation to pay taxes on time, nor does it prevent penalties and interest from accruing if the payment is late.
Key points to know:
-
Property taxes are due by January 31.
-
Penalties and interest begin accruing on February 1 if taxes are unpaid.
-
Taxing authorities are required to send bills, but non-delivery, address changes, or mail issues do not excuse nonpayment.
-
Property owners are expected to keep their mailing address current with the appraisal district.
What you should do if you don’t receive a bill:
-
Contact the Waller County Tax Office to request a copy.
-
Check your tax balance online through your county’s tax office website.
-
Verify your mailing address with the appraisal district, not the tax office.
TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES YOU MUST PROVIDE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
- Tax Statement/Bill
- Property Owners Name or Address
- Property ID Number
Installment Payment of Taxes for over 65, disable and Veterans:
Property tax code provides: Section 31.031 (a) if before the delinquency date an individual who is disabled or at least 65 years of age or a veteran and is qualified for an exemption under section 11.13(c) pays at least one-fourth of a taxing unit's taxes imposed on property that the person owns and occupies as a residence homestead, accompanied by notice to the taxing unit that the person will pay the remaining taxes in installments, the person may pay the remaining taxes without penalty or interest in four equal installments. Payments must be made before the following dates: February 1, April 1, June 1 and August 1.
Important Property Dates
- October - Tax Statement mailing begins
- January 31 - Last day to pay tax bill without penalty and interest. (If an active lawsuit exists for a previous year, attorney fees are added to the next tax bill on February 1)
- March 31 - Last day to pay business personal property taxes without accruing attorney fees.
- June 30 - Real Estate's last day to pay personal property taxes without accruing attorney fees.
Pre Payments:
You may make payments on your property tax account year around. We will place your payments in escrow and hold it for you.
Tax Deferral
Seniors and disabled persons are eligible to defer their property taxes. To obtain a deferral, an individual must file with the Chief Appraiser at the Appraisal District. You should be aware that a tax deferral only postpones payments; it does not cancel them. Once you no longer own your home, all the taxes, pre-deferral penalties and interest, along with the 5% deferral interest, become due after 180 days. If the taxes remain unpaid, regular penalties and interest accrue, and the taxing units may proceed with a lawsuit to collect delinquent taxes through a tax sale.
Late Payment Penalty
A tax lien is automatically placed on property each year on January 1st to ensure taxes are paid. Tax rates are typically established in September, and tax bills are sent out in October. Taxes must be paid by January 31st to avoid penalties and interest. If the full payment is not made by January 31st, penalties and interest will be charged starting February 1st on the remaining balance.
Delinquent Penalty & Interest Charges
| MONTH |
PENALTY |
INTEREST |
TOTAL P&I |
| FEBRUARY 1 |
6% |
1% |
7% |
| MARCH 1 |
7% |
2% |
9% |
| APRIL 1 |
8% |
3% |
11% |
| MAY 1 |
9% |
4% |
13% |
| JUNE 1 |
10% |
5% |
15% |
| JULY 1 |
12% |
6% |
18% |
| AUGUST 1 |
12% |
7% |
19% |
| SEPTEMBER 1 |
12% |
8% |
20% |
| OCTOBER 1 |
12% |
9% |
21% |
| NOVEMBER 1 |
12% |
10% |
22% |
| DECEMBER 1 |
12% |
11% |
23% |
| JANUARY 1 |
12% |
12% |
24% |
Corrections to your statements
The Waller County Appraisal District is responsible for determining which properties are taxable, their appraised values, eligibility for exemptions, the taxable owner and mailing address, and the taxing jurisdictions authorized to levy taxes on each property. The Waller County Tax Office receives this information directly from the Appraisal District. Any questions or corrections regarding these matters as shown on the tax statement should be directed to the Waller County Appraisal District.
Waller County Appraisal District
900 13th St
PO Box 887
Hempstead TX 77445
979-921-0060
www.waller-cad.org