Local property taxes due by Jan. 31

By Melinda L. Lucas

With just a week left before the official deadline, a large percentage of the county-wide tax levies will be collected in the next few days.

Taxes assessed during 2019 are officially due next week, on Friday, Jan. 31. With the due date falling during the regular work week, there are no special concessions for late payments, according to chief appraiser Clayton Snyder at the Shackelford County Central Appraisal District (CAD) office. 

Statements for the 2019 taxes were mailed last October, and payments have been coming in at a steady pace since then.

About a quarter of the total levy is typically collected by the end of the year, with payments coming in steadily throughout the month of January and momentum picking up in the last week before the deadline. 

Snyder explained that there are a small number of “individually significant” taxpayers, mostly corporations, who tend to wait until right before the deadline to pay their taxes.

“That’s the reason the collection rate is typically so volatile between December and January,” said the chief appraiser. 

Official Deadline

Payments postmarked Jan. 31 or earlier are not considered delinquent even though they may not arrive at the tax office for several more days.

A self-addressed stamped envelope needs to be enclosed with mailed or dropped payments in order for taxpayers to receive a receipt by return mail.

Online payments at www.shackelfordcad.com can be made any time before midnight on Jan. 31. 

Local taxpayers can bring in their payments in person by the end of the working day on Friday, Jan. 31.

Taxes will become delinquent after the payment deadline, and property owners who do not pay taxes in time will be charged penalty and interest on an accumulating scale.

Local taxpayers can contact the tax office at 325-762-2207 for more information.