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How do I look up and pay a Harris County property tax bill?
Answered by Allen Markel, REALTOR®, Texas Premier Realty ·
Short answer
Look up a bill at the Harris County Tax Office website, hctax.net, by account number, address or owner name, and pay online, by mail or in person. Bills go out in October or November, are due when received, and become delinquent after January 31. On the county median tax of about $7,213 a year ($601 a month), a missed deadline adds penalty and interest, so confirm the current schedule with the tax office. Use the official site only, since look-alike payment sites exist.
How do I find the bill?
Search the tax office's property tax portal with the address, the owner's name or the 13-digit HCAD account number, which is also on the appraisal notice. The result shows each taxing unit's charge, the total due, the amount paid and any delinquent balance. You can also find the account on HCAD's site, which lists the taxing units and exemptions. If the bill was sent to a previous owner or a lender, the account still exists, and you can look it up without the mailed copy. If the home is in escrow, the servicer pays, but you can check that it was paid. Watch for scams and look-alike sites: the county's web address is hctax.net. If a mailed notice or a text asks for payment through an unfamiliar link, look up the account on the official site yourself. New owners should also update the mailing address with HCAD so the bill reaches the right place.
How do I pay and what if I cannot pay in full?
The tax office accepts payment online (bank account or card, with a card fee), by mail and at its offices. Payment is due when the bill is received and is delinquent after January 31; penalty and interest begin in February and increase each month, so pay before then. The tax office offers a Payment Installment Plan for qualifying taxpayers and lets you split an online or in-person payment between current and prior-year taxes; ask the tax office whether you qualify. If you are protesting your value, pay the undisputed amount by the deadline. Keep the receipt for closings and refinances. For homes bought this year, the first bill may be addressed to the previous owner or to the lender. It is still the new owner's responsibility once the sale closes, and the seller's credit at closing covers the seller's portion of the year. If a bill was paid by an escrow servicer, you can confirm with a receipt on the tax office site. Keep the payment record for your own tax filing, since property tax may be deductible subject to federal limits.
Amounts and rules change every year. For the most current and accurate answer, contact the county office directly: the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (hctax.net, 713-274-8000) for tax bills and payments.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Look up a bill | hctax.net; search by account, address or owner name |
| Find the 13-digit account number | Appraisal notice or hcad.org |
| Bills issued | October or November |
| Due | When received; delinquent after January 31 |
| Median annual tax on a $320,000 home | $7,213 ($601 a month), before exemptions |
Common follow-up questions
Where do I pay Harris County property taxes online?
On the Harris County Tax Office website, hctax.net.
What is my HCAD account number?
A 13-digit number on the appraisal notice and on hcad.org.
Can I pay in installments?
Some owners qualify; ask the tax office.
Sources
Talk it through with Allen
A short call can turn a general answer into one for your address, your timeline and your numbers.
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Answers describe transactions and public data. They are not legal, tax or financial advice.