Texas Land Property Taxes: Deadlines, Penalties and Your Options
Your 2026 tax bill is due by February 1, 2027. Here is what happens if it goes unpaid, what waiting costs each month, and the options you have as a landowner.
Penalty schedule checked October 27, 2026
The Dates That Matter
Three dates decide what your 2026 tax bill will cost.
Deadline
February 1, 2027
Last day to pay without penalty.
January 31, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next business day, Monday, February 1, 2027. Confirm the exact last day with your county tax office.
Penalties begin
February 2
Unpaid taxes become delinquent. A 6% penalty plus 1% interest, 7% in total, is added, and it grows every month after.
Collection penalty
July 1
An extra 15% or 20% can be added. Added to the total taxes, penalties and interest still due on real property, depending on the taxing jurisdiction.
What Waiting Costs, Month by Month
The penalty stops growing at 12% in July. Interest keeps adding 1% a month until the bill is paid.
On a $2,000 tax bill, paying in July instead of by the deadline adds $360, before any collection penalty.
- February7%
- March9%
- April11%
- May13%
- June15%
- July18%
- August19%
- September20%
- October21%
- November22%
- December23%
- January24%
Totals added when the bill is paid in that month, after the January deadline. Source: Travis County Tax Office: penalties and interest; Tarrant County: penalty and interest. Your county may differ, so confirm amounts and dates with your county tax assessor-collector.
Your Options When the Tax Bill Arrives
Pay by the deadline
If you plan to keep the land, paying by February 1, 2027 avoids every penalty on this page.
Ask about a payment plan
Many Texas county tax offices offer payment plans for delinquent taxes. Your county tax assessor-collector can tell you what is available.
Sell the land
If the land costs more to hold than it is worth to you, a cash sale ends the yearly bill. We buy land as-is, even with taxes owed, and resolve tax liens at closing through the title company.
Get a free cash offer →Is your land worth what you pay in taxes?
Get an instant estimate for your county, then compare it with your yearly bill.
We Buy Land in 39 Texas Counties
Your county tax assessor-collector's website shows the exact amount you owe. Pick your county to see how we buy land there.
- Harris County
- Dallas County
- Tarrant County
- Fort Bend County
- Montgomery County
- Galveston County
- Collin County
- Denton County
- Brazoria County
- Brazos County
- Waller County
- Rockwall County
- Ellis County
- Johnson County
- Parker County
- Kaufman County
- Grayson County
- Hunt County
- Grimes County
- Anderson County
- Austin County
- Burleson County
- Colorado County
- Falls County
- Fayette County
- Freestone County
- Henderson County
- Hill County
- Hood County
- Lavaca County
- Lee County
- Leon County
- Limestone County
- Madison County
- Navarro County
- Robertson County
- Van Zandt County
- Washington County
- Wise County
Property Tax Questions From Landowners
When are Texas property taxes due?+
Property taxes for the 2026 tax year are due by February 1, 2027. January 31, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so the deadline moves to the next business day, Monday, February 1, 2027. Confirm the exact last day with your county tax office.
What happens if I pay my land taxes late?+
On February 2, unpaid taxes become delinquent and a 6% penalty plus 1% interest is added, 7% in total. By July the total reaches 18%, and interest keeps adding 1% a month after that. From July 1, an extra 15% or 20% collection penalty can be added.
Can I sell land if I owe back taxes?+
Yes. We buy Texas land even with delinquent taxes. The taxes owed are factored into our offer, and we work with the title company to resolve any tax liens at closing.
Should I keep paying taxes or sell the land?+
It depends on what the land is worth to you. If you plan to build, farm or hold it for the long term, paying the tax keeps those plans open. If it sits unused and the bill comes every year, compare the bill with what the land would sell for. Our free land value calculator gives a quick estimate by county.
Tired of the Tax Bill? Get a Cash Offer.
Tell us about your land. We'll review it and send a no-obligation cash offer, with any taxes owed already factored in.
- ✓Cash offer in 24 hours
- ✓No fees or commissions
- ✓We pay all closing costs
- ✓Close in as little as 30 days
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