King County property owners who pay their property taxes themselves, rather than through a mortgage lender, have until Friday, April 30 to pay the first half of their 2021 bill. After that date, interest charges and penalties will be added to the tax bill.
While the first half payment deadline was extended in 2020 due to the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic, the second half deadline was not. Timely receipt of property tax payments is essential for the many jurisdictions that rely on these revenues to make debt service payments.
To make the payment process easier, King County provides several ways for property owners to pay their taxes quickly and conveniently. Payments can be made:
- Online using King County’s secure online eCommerce system at kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax. Taxpayers may pay with a credit card, debit card, or an electronic check. (A service fee applies to this option.)
- By mail if postmarked no later than April 30, 2021. Taxpayers should write their property tax account number on their check or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail. Taxpayers do not need to include a tax statement with the payment as long as the property tax account number is on the check or money order and payment is for the exact amount due.
- Customer service counters at King County facilities remain closed to in-person payments. However, taxpayers can use the specially-marked, secure dropbox located at the King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St. in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, to make payments by check or money order. Cash should not be left in the dropbox.
To help taxpayers impacted by economic hardship, King County has a payment plan program available for real property homes, commercial businesses, land, and mobile homes. To participate, property owners must sign an agreement with King County Treasury. If participating owners also have a mortgage, they need to notify their lender about the payment plan. The program is administered through a third-party vendor and monthly payments are credited to the property tax account once the terms of the payment plan are met.
King County will waive the payment plan program’s $75 setup fee, but participants will need to pay a monthly processing fee charged by the vendor. Those taking part in this program will also need to pay interest of 1% each month on the outstanding amount of their tax bill, as required by Washington state law. However, taxpayers enrolled in a 2021 payment plan before June 1 can avoid the 3% and 8% penalties applied in June and December, respectively. A payment plan for 2021 taxes can be made for a term of up to 18 months. For more information on the payment plan program, please visit kingcounty.gov/PaymentPlans or email paymentplans@kingcounty.gov.
For questions about missing tax statements or other tax payment information, visit kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax, contact King County Treasury Operations at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2890.
Information on exemption and deferral programs for seniors, people with disabilities, or other qualifying conditions can be obtained from the King County Assessor’s Office at TaxRelief.kingcounty.gov, by emailing exemptions.assessments@kingcounty.gov, or calling 206-296-3920.
The above is a press release from King County Assessor’s Office. The Auburn Examiner has not independently verified its contents and encourages our readers to personally verify any information they find may be overly biased or questionable. The publication of this press release does not indicate an endorsement of its content.