Sacramento – (Special to ZennieReport.com) Sacramento County and Marin County have mailed their property tax bills. That’s the news expressed in separate press releases that have been combined into this news article. Here’s Marin County, first.
Marin County Property Tax Bills Mailed This Month
The Marin County Tax Collector has mailed 91,945 property tax bills to property owners for the fiscal year 2023-24. This year’s tax roll reflects a total of $1,416,277,507, marking a 6.35% increase compared with the previous year.
The payment process is divided into two installments: the first installment is due by November 1 and must be paid on or before December 11 to avoid penalties. The second installment deadline is April 10, 2024. Property owners have the option to pay both installments together.
The Tax Collector’s secure online portal and telephone service are available for convenient property tax payments. Bills can be paid by visiting www.marincounty.org/taxbillonline or by phone at (800) 985-7277. There are no service fees associated with electronic check (e-check) payments.
Property owners who have not received their tax bill by mid-October, particularly those who have recently acquired real estate in Marin, should contact the Tax Collector’s office. It’s important to emphasize that not receiving a tax bill does not exempt taxpayers from the responsibility to make timely payments.
The Marin County Tax Collector’s office is in Suite 202 of the Marin County Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael, with office hours of 9 AM to 4:30 PM weekdays. Questions related to property tax billing can be directed to the Tax Collector at (415) 473-6133 or via email. For inquiries regarding assessed property values, contact the County Assessor at (415) 473-7215.
Parcel Tax Exemptions: Property owners 65 years or older living in the property as a main residence may be eligible for certain parcel tax exemptions. To learn about the eligibility requirements, please contact the special districts directly using the phone numbers provided on the property tax bill. Note that California law does not allow exemptions for school bonds.
Property Tax Postponement (PTP): Beginning October 1, 2023, the State Controller’s Office is accepting new applications for PTP for older adults, blind individuals, or disabled persons. Learn more on the office’s website or contact them by phone 1-800-952-5661 or email postponement@sco.ca.gov.
California Mortgage Relief Program – Includes Property Tax.
The California Mortgage Relief Program covers financial assistance for property taxes. Learn more by calling 1-888-840-2594 or emailing info@camortgagerelief.org.
Sacramento County Secured Property Tax Bills Mailed This Month
Sacramento County will mail about 481,774 secured property tax bills which are payable beginning November 1, 2023. These tax bills are mailed only once a year, however, property owners may pay their bills in two installment payments:
- The first installment payment is due on November 1, 2023. Payments will be accepted without penalty until 5 p.m. on December 11, 2023.
- The second installment payment is due on February 1, 2024. Payments will be accepted without penalty until 5 p.m. on April 10, 2024.
- Both installments may be paid when the first installment is due. A reminder notice will not be mailed for the second installment.
Taxpayers may sign up for online e-mail notifications for annual secured property tax bills and reminders before delinquent dates. Choose “e-Subscribe for property tax payment notifications” to receive these notifications.
Payments can be made online via credit card or electronic check. Taxpayers may print tax bill installment payment stubs to mail in with their payments. Taxpayers may also pay by credit card or electronic check over the telephone at (844) 430-2823. There is a convenience fee for credit and debit cards. Electronic checks are free.
Payment can be made in person at the Sacramento County Tax Collector’s Office at 700 H Street, Room 1710, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In person payments can be paid via cash, check, credit card, debit card or money order. A convenience fee will apply for credit card and debit card transactions.
Payments can be sent via mail to P.O. Box 508, Sacramento, CA 95812-0508. The Tax Collector accepts and processes payments based on the postmark date. Payments may not be credited to the tax bill for several business days dependent upon the volume of payments received, whether payments were submitted with the correct payment stubs, and/or whether envelopes were postmarked by the delinquent date.
Property tax law (Prop 8) requires that parcels be assessed at their factored Prop 13 value, or their fair market value (as of the January 1, 2023, property tax lien date), whichever is less.
A rising real estate market can cause higher than expected increases in a parcel’s annual tax bill if that parcel was in Prop 8 status last year. However, the assessed value of any parcel cannot increase beyond that parcel’s factored Prop 13 level. The 2% inflation cap applies only to Prop 13 assessments. It does not apply to Prop 8 assessments, which by law must track the property’s market value until it reaches the Prop 13 factored value.
Find assessed values at assessor.saccounty.gov under “Assessed Value Lookup,” including this year’s value and the factored Prop 13 value for comparison. If a taxpayer has evidence that their assessed value as of January 1, 2023, was less than that shown on this year’s (2023-2024) tax bill, they should:
- Visit the Assessor’s Website (saccounty.gov),
- Call the Assessor’s Office at (916) 875-0700
- Email the Assessor’s Office at Assessor@SacCounty.gov
Taxpayers may obtain current year tax bill information, copies of property tax bills, direct levy information, delinquent prior year tax information and amounts due through the Internet at eproptax.saccounty.gov, searching by APN or address. Find a QR Code on your tax bill payment stub for use with smartphones to connect to our website.
Sacramento County also has a 24-hour/7-day-a-week Automated Property Tax Information Line that provides information on tax subjects and access to detailed billing and payment information. Tax specialists are available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Reach the system and tax specialists by calling (916) 874-6622.
If you own property and do not receive a tax bill by October 15, 2023, you may obtain tax bill copies, property tax information, and payment stubs (coupons) at the Tax Collector’s website at eproptax.saccounty.gov.
R&TC 2610.5 “Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the property owner of the liability to pay taxes in a timely manner or give the Tax Collector reason to cancel penalties imposed for late payment.”
Even if your tax bill is being paid by a lending institution (mortgage company), state law requires that a copy of the tax bill be sent to the property owner; all property owners should receive either the original tax bill or an “Owner’s Information Copy.” It is the responsibility of the property owner to keep their mailing address current with the Assessor’s Office. To update your mailing address, please contact the Assessor’s Office in writing at 3636 American River Drive, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95864 or via email at Assessor@saccounty.gov. Please make sure you include a parcel number and phone number with all correspondence.