Frequently Asked Tax Questions
Q. When are tax statements mailed and due?
A. Tax notices are usually mailed in October. Taxes are due upon receipt of the statement. Penalty/Interest begins to accrue on February 1st. Payments are posted according to postmark. If payment is mailed in late January, please be sure to have the envelope postmarked by the post service not later than January 31st. Penalty is imposed at the statutory rate of 6% on the 1st day of the delinquency month, and will increase 1% on the 1st day of each month thereafter, with a final 2% on July 1st for a total of 12%.
Q. May I pay my taxes by phone or online?
A. Yes. There will be a fee charged if using credit card. By phone call 1-800-2PAY-TAX (1-800-272-9829) or visit https://fullfunding.com/hayscountypayments/. At the prompt, enter Jurisdiction Code 5328. After authorization of your payment, you will be given a confirmation number that you should keep for your records.
Q. What do I do if I received a tax statement and my mortgage company escrows (pays) my taxes?
A. If your taxes are to be paid by a mortgage company and you received the statement, write your loan number on the tax notice and send it immediately to your mortgage company.
Q. What if I did not receive a tax statement and my account goes delinquent? Will I still have to pay penalties?
A. If you do not receive a tax statement before November 1st of each year, contact the Hays County Tax Office and request a statement to be mailed. However, failure to receive a tax notice does not affect the validity of the tax, penalty, interest, the due date, the existence of a tax lien, or any procedure instituted to collect a tax (sec 31.01(g) Texas Property Tax Code). It is the property owners' responsibility to make sure that the correct name and address is listed for each property owned.
Q. What type of payment options do you accept?
A. This office accepts cash, checks, money orders, cashier's checks, Mastercard and Visa. There is a convenience fee added if paying with Mastercard or Visa.
Q. How can I find out what exemptions I am eligible for?
A. Contact the Hays Central Appraisal District at www.hayscad.com or 512-268-2522 and they will be able to assist you with any exemption qualification questions.
Q. What if I can't pay the total tax amount? Do you accept partial payments?
A. Yes. This office does accept partial payments. However, any remaining balance not paid by January 31st will begin to accrue penalty and interest. Should you wish to make a partial payment beginning in October when you receive your statement, please write your property account number on your check/money order with the words partial payment. (The account number is in the format: XX.XXXX.XXXX.XXXXX.X)
Q. I have sold my property but I continue to receive statements. How can I remove my name from this account?
A. You will need to contact the Hays Central Appraisal District at 512-268-2522 to make any changes to your account. Their office makes any and all changes regarding name change and/or address change.
Q. When I purchased my home, the sale was handled through an attorney or title company who collected my taxes at closing. Why am I receiving a delinquent statement?
A. Check your closing papers or contact the title company. It is possible that the title company may have collected from the seller and credited you at the time of closing which would mean that you, as the new buyer, are responsible for paying the tax when due.
Q. Why are my taxes so high?
A. Your tax statement is based on the appraised value less any exemptions. Values are set by the Hays Central Appraisal District. The tax rates are set by each entity.
Q. How do I get more information regarding property taxes?
A. For information regarding tax rates and tax bills, contact the Hays County Tax Office. For information regarding property values, exemptions, protests, etc., contact the Hays Central Appraisal District at 512-268-2522.