Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Taxation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill letting split‑pay first installment shift when tax bills mailed late
Summary
House Bill 27 42 would change the due date for the first split property tax installment when tax bills are mailed after November 30; committee discussion clarified example due dates and later reported the bill favorably.
The Senate Committee on Local Government advanced House Bill 27 42, which would adjust the due date for the first installment of split property tax payments when tax bills are mailed after Nov. 30.
Sen. Paxton, the senate sponsor, told the committee that some tax assessors delay mailing bills because of appraisal protests or other issues and property owners cannot reasonably pay half by Dec. 1 if they don’t yet know the bill amount. ‘‘If the tax bill goes out Dec. 3, the first installment is due by Jan. 31,’’ Paxton explained. ‘‘If the tax bill went out on Jan. 2, the first installment would be due by Feb. 28.’’
The bill sets the first installment in the late‑mailing scenario to be due ‘‘before the first day of the next month following the first full calendar month following the date the tax bills are mailed,’’ as explained in committee.
Committee members asked procedural questions and noted that no tax assessor witnesses were registered; a former tax assessor on the committee indicated support. The committee left the bill pending at the hearing; later it reported HB 27 42 favorably on a recorded vote and recommended it for the local and uncontested calendar.
The bill applies to counties that offer split‑payment schedules (half due Dec. 1 and half due July 1) and clarifies due dates when mailing delays prevent taxpayers from knowing their bill amount prior to Dec. 1.
