tax assessor-collector
How is my property value determined?
The Central Appraisal District identifies property to be taxed, determines its appraised value, whether to grant exemptions, the taxable owner and address, and which taxing jurisdictions may tax the property. For information on VALUES, to file for an EXEMPTION, or to report changes in OWNERSHIP or ADDRESS, please call the Central Appraisal District (830) 796-3030. The Appraisal District mailing address is P. O. Box 1119, Bandera, Texas 78003. The Appraisal District office is located at 1206 Main St., Bandera, Texas 78003.

What are some exemptions? How do I apply?
Exemptions reduce the taxable value of your property. This lowers your tax amount. Some of these exemptions are:

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

Disabled Homestead Can be taken in addition to the homestead exemption; available to those who qualify according to specific guidelines.

Disable veteran or survivor Can be taken in addition to the homestead exemption, according to a disability rating. This exemption can be taken on any property in Texas; it is not limited to the homestead property.

Age 65 or Older Can be taken in addition to homestead exemption on residence. Homeowners over the age of 65 may also arrange for a Tax Affidavit Deferral. You may choose to defer the collection of taxes if you own and occupy your residence; however, a tax lien remains on the property and interest of 8% a year continues to accrue.

The chief appraiser is responsible for administering exemption applications. A property owner or the owner's authorized agent must file any necessary exemption form before May 1 of the tax year.

To apply for an exemption, call the Central Appraisal District at (830) 796-3030.

When are taxes due?
Taxes are due on OCTOBER 1 of each year. In order to be timely, payment of taxes must be postmarked before the specified date. Taxes are delinquent on FEBRUARY 1 of each year and subject to penalty and interest, and subject to possible lawsuit.

What if I don't receive a tax statement?
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.

Will a lien be placed on my property if the taxes are paid?
State law AUTOMATICALLY places a tax lien on property on JANUARY 1 of each year to ensure that taxes are paid.

What if I sold my property last year?
The person who owned the property on January 1 of the tax year is personally liable for the tax, even if he/she sold the property during the year. Let the buyer beware, however, that the lien follows the property.

What if my mortgage company is supposed to pay my taxes?
If a mortgage company pays your property taxes and you receive a tax statement, write your loan number on the statement, forward it immediately to your mortgage company for payment and notify the Tax Office in writing.

Can I get a discount on my taxes if I pay early?
Bandera County does not offer any discounts for Bandera County or any other taxing jurisdictions whose taxes we collect.

We urge you to avail yourself of other payment options available such as the split payment option and for those over 65 or disabled, the quarter payment option. These options have deadlines mandated by state law so please read the back of your statement for more details.

Do I have to pay all my taxes at the same time?
No. You can select one of the payment options to pay your taxes in installments.

What kinds of payment options are available?
SPLIT-PAYMENT OPTION: You may pay the January amount in two equal installments without incurring penalty and interest if:
(1) you pay one-half of the January amount before December 1 of each tax year, for the current tax year.
(2) you pay the remaining one-half before July 1st.

4-PAYMENT OPTION: (This option applies only to property the person occupies as a residence homestead and only to those persons who are considered disabled under SSI) If, before January 1st of the current tax year, you are disabled or 65 years of age and are QUALIFIED for the OVER 65 or DISABLED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS, you may make your payments in four equal installments without incurring penalty and interest, if paid in the following manner:

1) 1st payment due before January 31;
2) 2nd payment due before April 1;
3) 3rd payment due before June 1; and
4) 4th payment due before Aug 1.

Partial Payments are accepted on Property Tax

Will the Tax Office accept credit card payments?
Yes, we will take credit card payments. You can use credit cards, for motor vehicle, property taxes and boat transactions. Credit card payments for property tax can be made by phone or on the Internet. Please contact Gov-Pay at 1-800-300-8007 or https://govpay.net/bandera-county-property-tax. They accept credit cards, debit cards or e-checks

What is a tax certificate, and how can I obtain one?
A tax certificate is a document showing the current status of taxes; if delinquent, the certificate shows penalties and interest that are due according to tax records. The fee to obtain a certificate is $10.00 per certificate; prepayment is required.

Calculations
Each year, in September, the governing bodies of the local taxing units decide what services they will provide and how much money they will need. They adopt the unit budget and set the tax rate for the year that will provide the needed revenue.

Taxing units also have the authority to allow partial exemptions. These exemptions reduce the taxable value of qualifying properties. Homestead, Over Sixty-Five, and Disability exemptions are partial exemptions that can be granted on your principal place of residence. They can only be claimed on one piece of property in the state of Texas.

Taxes are calculated by subtracting the value of any exemptions, and the cap value if applicable, from the homestead value of the property and then adding any productivity or non-qualifying value. This result, the taxable value, is then multiplied by the tax rate per $100. The answer is then divided by 100 to arrive at the tax amount for the taxing unit. This process is repeated for each taxing unit.

Delinquent Tax Collection Rates
The following schedule provides penalty and interest rates for use in calculating the total amount of penalty and interest due on delinquent tax bills. The rates in this schedule do not apply to taxes paid in quarter payments, or to delinquent taxes in years where a successful roll back election was held. Value or exemption changes by the appraisal district may postpone the delinquency date.

Taxes not paid by January 31 will increase as follows:

IF TAX IS PAID IN (MONTH) ADD PENALTY + INTEREST = TOTAL PERCENTAGE
February 6% + 1% = 7%
March 7% + 2% = 9%
April 8% + 3% = 11%
May 9% + 4% = 13%
June 10% + 5% = 15%
July 12% + 6% = 18%

Accounts not paid in full by June 30th of the year in which they become delinquent are referred to the delinquent tax attorneys for collection and incur an additional penalty equal to 20% of the total taxes, penalties and interest due. Any payment on the quarter payment plan that is not paid before the delinquency date for the installment accrues full penalty of 12% immediately, and begins to accrue interest at the rate of 1% per month until paid.