The Brazos County tax office brings up the current cold weather to remind those paying property taxes by Tuesday’s deadline of the options to what is expected to be standing room only lines.
That includes making payments in secure drop boxes near the front door by Tuesday at five p.m.
Payments can also be made by phone and online. More information is at brazostax.org.
The tax office discourages payment by mail because state law requires the postmark as the payment date, and that postmark comes from Houston.
News release from Brazos County tax assessor-collector Kristy Roe:
The January 31st deadline for full payment of 2022 property taxes has arrived and January is blessing us with winter weather for the full payment deadline. This deadline does not apply to those taxpayers who took advantage of the half payment option. Residents are urged to consider all options available to help stay safe and take care of their business.
Local taxpayers planning to make that annual property tax payment in person are encouraged to utilize the various payment options to avoid what is expected to be standing room only at the Brazos County Tax Office.
The tax office is encouraging residents to take advantage of the secure drop boxes available for payments. The office added a walk up payment box located near the front door so payments can be made safely during the day. Taxpayers are reminded to place payments in an envelope and seal them before using the payment box. Payments dropped after 5:00 PM are considered next day payments.
To avoid the long lines, property owners can take advantage of several options in Brazos County. But whether taxpayers plan to come in person or take advantage of other payment options, each year there are those who with the best of intentions still miss the deadline. The office has recommendations on how taxpayers can protect themselves from late payment fees.
Know what you need to pay. The tax office must rely on you to tell them what properties you need to pay. Bring statements or a list of property account numbers. This will save time, simplify the process, and make sure everything is paid in a timely manner.
If statements have been misplaced, the information is readily available on the tax office website at www.brazostax.org. Payments can be submitted on the website as well. E-check, credit card, debit card, PayPal and PayPal Credit payments are accepted. A benefit of paying online is that a confirmation number is provided, so the taxpayer has proof of payment. The website is fully compatible with smart phones and tablets.
Credit, debit and e-check payments can also be made by calling 1-888-254-4339. The taxpayer must have the property ID number and should provide a valid phone number in the process so tax office personnel can contact them if necessary.
When mailing payments, local taxpayers should allow for any delay in postmark by the postal service due to the routing of mail to the processing center in Houston. Payments mailed on the last day run a greater risk of receiving a delayed postmark. The tax office is required to use the postmark as the payment date.
Calls for information can be made to the tax office but the call volume is great around deadlines so taxpayers are encouraged to call well before the deadline to make sure their questions are answered. The tax office number is 979-775-9930.