Freqently Asked Questions

Q. When are tax statements mailed and due?

A. Tax notices are usually mailed in early October. Taxes are due upon receipt of the statement and must be paid by January 31st. If payment is mailed in late January, please be sure to have the envelope postmarked by the postal service no later than January 31st.

Q. When are my taxes delinquent?

A. Penalty/Interest begins to accrue at the statutory rate of 7% on February 1st and will increase on the 1st day of each month thereafter. Additionally, 15% to 20% attorney fees are added on July 1st.

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 www.kaufmantax.net, then select Pay Your Taxes by Credit Card. At the prompt, enter Jurisdiction Code 6382. 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 Kaufman 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, Visa and Discover. There is a convenience fee added if paying with MasterCard, Visa or Discover.

Q. What is the mailing address to send my tax payment?

A. Send payments to: Brenda Samples
Kaufman County
P.O. BOX 339
Kaufman, Texas 75142-0339

Q. How can I find out what exemptions I am eligible for?

A. Contact your local County Appraisal District and they will be able to assist you with any exemption qualification questions. Contact information for the following CAD Districts are as follows:

Kaufman County Appraisal District (972) 932-6081 or visit www.kaufman-cad.org
Henderson County Appraisal District (903) 675-9296 or visit www.swdata.com
Hunt County Appraisal District (903) 454-3510 or visit www.hunt-cad.org
Van Zandt County Appraisal District (903) 567-6171 or visit www.swdata.com
Dallas County Appraisal District (214) 631-0910 or visit www.dallascad.org

Q. How do I get more information regarding property taxes?

A. For information regarding tax rates and tax bills, contact your County Tax Office. For information regarding property values, exemptions, protests, etc., contact your County Appraisal District.

Q. What if I can’t pay the total tax amount? Do you accept partial payments?

A. Yes. This office does accept partial payments, but does not make formal payment arrangements other than the Over 65 Homestead Plan (see next question). However, any remaining balance not paid by January 31st will begin to accrue penalty and interest. Should you wish to make a partial payment, please write your property ID/account number on your check/money order with the words partial payment.

Q. How do I initiate the Quarterly Payment Plan to pay my property taxes?

A. This option applies only to property the person occupies as a residence homestead, and only to those persons who are disabled or 65 years of age or considered totally disabled under SSI. If you are QUALIFIED for OVER 65 or DISABLED EXEMPTIONS, you may make your payments in four equal installments without incurring penalty and interest, if paid in the following manner:

1st payment paid by January 31;
2nd payment paid by March 31;
3rd payment paid by May 31; and
4th payment paid by July 31.

The U.S. Postal Service postmark is used to determine the timeliness of mailed payments. If you fail to make a payment before the due date, the unpaid amount is delinquent and incurs penalty and interest as provided by Texas Tax Code section 31.031 (b) and 33.01 (c).

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 your local Appraisal District at (972) 932-6081 to make any changes to your account. The Appraisal District will direct you regarding name changes and/or address changes.

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 owner, 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 Kaufman County Appraisal District. The tax rates are set by each entity. Contact the Kaufman County Appraisal District for more information.