Allison Nathan Getz, Jefferson County Tax Assessor-Collector, reminds citizens of Jefferson County that 2019 property tax payments must be paid by Friday, January 31, 2020 to avoid penalty and interest charges.

Property tax payments may be made in person at:

• Jefferson County Courthouse, 1149 Pearl, Beaumont;
• Jefferson County Sub-Courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive, Port Arthur; or
• Mid County Tax Office, 4605 Jerry Ware Drive, Beaumont (near the Airport).

All three locations will remain open until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31.

Payments by mail for 2019 must have a Post Office cancellation mark on or before Jan. 31, 2020, to avoid penalty and interest charges. The cancellation mark must be affixed by the Post Office and not a metered postmark.

Payments by mail may be sent to Jefferson County Tax Office, P. O. Box 2112, Beaumont, TX 77704. Beginning Feb. 1, penalty and interest will be applied to unpaid tax balances.

“Jefferson County has an excellent payment rate,” Getz said. “We typically collect over 98% of the total tax roll on a current basis. We appreciate the effort our community makes.”

“We hope this reminder will help people remember to not overlook taking care of a payment they fully intended to make. Please call our office if you are having difficulty meeting your tax obligation. There are special provisions for payment for citizens with age homestead or disability exemptions. The Tax Office deputies will be more than happy to give information on options that are available under the State Property Tax Code.”

Installment payment plan for disaster victims

In accordance with Section 31.032 of the Property Tax Code, taxpayers who sustained property damage as a result of a declared natural disaster may be eligible to split their property tax payments into four equal interest free installments, to be paid by Jan. 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31. For qualifications and requirements follow the link https://jeffcotax.com/2019-disaster-installment-form.

Taxes may be paid in cash, check, or credit/debit card in person. Telephone payments may be made by calling 1-866-549-1010 and use Bureau Code: 2228888. Also, credit card payments or e-check payments may be made online at www.certifiedpayments.net (Bureau Code: 2228888) and follow the instructions on the screen. A convenience fee of 2.25% on credit card payments and no fee on e-check payments will occur.