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Frequently Asked Tax Questions

When will I receive my tax bill?  When are taxes due for the current year?

Tax statements are mailed on October 1st or as soon thereafter as possible.  Taxes are due upon receipt and become delinquent on February 1^st of the following year.

What if I did not receive a tax statement?

It is the property owner’s responsibility to pay property taxes.  If a statement is not received by November, call our office for a duplicate statement.  Per Section 31.01(g) of the Texas Property Tax Code, “failure to receive a tax statement does not affect the validity of the tax, penalty, interest, due date, the existence of a tax lien, or any procedure instituted to collect a tax.”

Do you send my tax statement to my mortgage company?

By law, if the mortgage company requests your tax statement then the original statement MUST be mailed to the mortgage company.  A duplicate statement will NOT be mailed to the property owner.

What kind of payment options are available?

You must pay your taxes by U.S. Legal Tender by cash, check, money order or cashier’s check.

Who paid my taxes?

Click here to search your account information online.

What is my balance?

Click here to search your account information online.

What is my paid amount? 

Click here to search your account information online.

Please send a tax statement

Click here to search your account information and request a tax statement.

Please send a duplicate tax receipt

Tax receipt requests will be available on this web site in the near future.

Do you mail tax statements on all accounts?

No, we do NOT mail tax statements for account totals that are under $5.00,  accounts with bad addresses or accounts with $0.00 taxes due.

What is a tax certificate and how can I obtain one?

A tax certificate is a certified document showing the amount of delinquent taxes, penalties, and interest due the unit on a property according to the unit’s current certified tax records.  To obtain a tax certificate, you need to submit a written request which includes your name, address, and tax account number of the property to be certified. $10 per account number MUST accompany the certificate request.

EXEMPTIONS—What types are available and how do I apply?

Please note that each taxing unit acts independently in the exemptions they offer.

Residence Homestead--Available for home owners on their residence as long as they lived there on January 1^st of the tax year.  

Over Sixty-Five--Available for the entire year of the year you turn sixty-five years old

Disability/Disabled Veteran--According to a disability rating

Exemption applications must be submitted to the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District.  You can obtain a form by contacting them directly at 281-344-8623, or click here to get forms needed to apply for exemptions.

Where are the tax office and substations located?

Richmond Office (Main Office) located at 500 Liberty Street, Richmond, Texas 77469,  281-341-3710

Missouri City substation located at 310 Orchard St., Missouri City, Texas 77489,  281-261-2886

Needville substation located at 3321 Richmond St., Needville, Texas 77461,   979-793-7557

Sugar Land substation located at 12550 Emily Court, Sugar Land, Texas 77478,   281-242-4311.

Can I pay my property taxes at the substations?

You may pay your property taxes at the substation offices and be provided with a temporary tax receipt.  The payments will be posted in the computer on the next business day and an official tax receipt will be mailed to you.  You MUST provide the substation with a correct tax statement to insure your payment is processed accurately.  Each office has a drop box for your convenience.

What are the office hours?

Office Hours are:  Monday  7:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.

                            Tuesday through Friday   8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m.

Who do I contact concerning the value of my property?

To discuss concerns about your property value, you will need to contact the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District by telephone at 281-344-8623 or by fax at 281-344-8632.

Can I make payment arrangements?

Payment plans are set up on “DELINQUENT ACCOUNTS ONLY” through our tax attorneys after July 1^st of the year the taxes become delinquent.  Current year taxes are due by January 31^st of the following year.

Do you take partial payments?

No, we do NOT accept partial payments.  We do allow payment for one tax unit at a time as long as it is paid in full.  Please note that County taxes MUST be paid as one unit (General Fund and Drainage Fund).  Any current year taxes not paid by January 31^st of the following year will become delinquent on February 1^st.

Why do I have to pay penalty and interest when I never received a bill?

As a property owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that your taxes are paid on or before January 31^st of the following year in which they become due.  Section 31.01 (g) of the Texas Property Tax Code states, “Failure to send or receive the tax bill required by this section 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.”

How do I request waiver of penalty and interest?

Click here for more information.

My loan is paid off with the mortgage company…How do I receive my tax bill this year?

IN WRITING, request a tax statement.  Provide the tax account number, and the name and address of where you want the tax statement to be mailed.

How do I correct my name and/or address?

To make a change to your tax record, you must contact the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District by telephone at 281-344-8623 or by fax at 281-344-8632.

Why are my taxes higher this year as compared to last year?

Value increase, tax rate increase, exemptions removed from your account, collection of an additional tax unit from the previous year are some of the reasons.

A refund is due on my account, who receives the refund?

The refund will be mailed to the payer on the paid tax receipt.  If the mortgage company paid the taxes and you want the refund to be sent to you directly, we will need a written request on the mortgage company’s letterhead with your tax account number and a statement that says, “mail refund directly to homeowner”.

I have paid on an incorrect account, how do I obtain a refund?

If you have paid on an incorrect account number, please provide our office with a written refund request stating the incorrect account number, payment amount and a contact name and phone number.  Also, we will need a front and back copy of your cancelled check and a copy of the backup that accompanied the payment.  You MUST verify that the correct account has been paid before a refund will be issued on the incorrect account.

I am over sixty-five or disabled, how do I apply for an installment plan?

Per Section 31.031 (a) of the Texas State Property Tax Code, “If before the delinquency date an individual who is disabled or at least 65 years of age and is qualified for an exemption under Section 11.13(c) pays at least one-fourth of a taxing unit's taxes imposed on property that the person owns and occupies as a residence homestead, accompanied by notice to the taxing unit that the person will pay the remaining taxes in installments, the person may pay the remaining taxes without penalty or interest in three equal installments. The first installment must be paid before April 1, the second installment before June 1, and the third installment before August 1. 

Please note that you will need to contact the Richmond office and make arrangements to fill out and sign an installment form outlining payment amounts and due dates.  Please contact us at 281-341-3710.

I am over sixty-five or disabled, how do I apply for a tax deferral?

Fill out a Tax Affidavit Deferral form and submit to Fort Bend Central Appraisal District.  You may download a form through the following link or you may contact their office by telephone at 281-344-8632 or by fax at 281-344-8632.

**A tax deferral defers the collection of taxes if you own or occupy your residence; however, interest of 8% a year accrues on the unpaid amount. 

I am a new property owner, where do I file my deed?

All deeds are filed at the County Clerk’s Office.

Tax Units collected by Fort Bend County Tax Office

Click here to view a list of tax units collected by the Fort Bend County Tax Office.

Where can I see a list of the monthly Fort Bend County tax property sales?

They are available on the web site of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, delinquent tax attorneys.