• Property Tax Information
• Online Payment Information
• Exemption Information
• Assessed-Value Information
• Technical Support, Comments and Questions
• Mobile Home Information

Where can I mail my property-tax payment?

To make a payment by mail, detach remittance stub and mail to:

It is not necessary to have a tax statement to mail in your payment. If you decide to mail in your payment without a tax statement, please write your account number on the check and make it payable to King County Treasury.

How do I find my parcel/account number?

Your tax account or parcel number is located on your Property Tax Statement or Assessor's Valuation Change Notice. You can also access it by calling the Department of Assessment's public information section at (206) 296-7300. You may also go to the  County iMap to look up your parcel using the parcel viewer. After obtaining the number, enter it on the  Property Tax Information  web site.

Where can I pay property taxes in person?

Payments by check, cash, or by Discover Card may be made in person at:

• King County Treasury Operations, Room 600, 500 Fourth Ave., Seattle. Open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, Monday - Friday, excluding legal holidays.
• If you pay in-person (not online) at the downtown Seattle office with a Discover Card you will be charged a processing fee according to the following schedule.  The County does not receive any part of this fee.
  
  

  Tax Amount	Fee
  Up to $500.00	$4.00
  500.01 to $1,000.00	$9.00
  $1,000.01 to $2,000.00	$16.00
  $2,000.01 to $3,000	$25.00
  $3,000.01 & UP	$35.00

Payments by check only may be made in person at the following locations:

• Blackriver Community Service Center
• Cottage Lake Community Service Center
• Covington Community Service Center
• Northshore Community Service Center
• Sammamish Community Service Center
• Vashon Maury Island Community Service Center
• Kent Regional Justice Center

For addresses and hours of these community service centers, click on this link.

What are the payment deadlines and late payment penalties?

First half taxes must be paid or postmarked (U.S. Postal Service postmark) by April 30 or the full year tax becomes delinquent on May 1. Interest is 1 percent per month on the full amount due (from month of delinquency to month of payment). Penalty is 3 percent (current year tax only) on amount unpaid on June 1, and 8 percent (current year tax only) on amount unpaid on Dec. 1. Second half taxes must be paid or postmarked (U.S. Postal Service postmark) by Oct. 31 or they become delinquent on Nov. 1.
(RCW 84.56.020)

Do I need a tax statement to make my payment?

If you know the correct amount to pay, it is not necessary to have a tax statement accompany your payment. Make the check payable to the King County Treasury and mail it to 500 4th Avenue, Room 600, Seattle WA 98104. Write your tax account/parcel number on the check and make sure it is postmarked by the due date.

I want to protest the tax I owe. How can I do so?

If you believe this tax is unlawful or excessive and wish to preserve your right to seek a refund in court, you must, at the time you pay the tax, provide a separate written statement (1) saying that you are paying the tax or a portion thereof under protest, and (2) stating all of the reasons why you believe the tax paid under protest is unlawful or excessive. RCW 84.68.020

Why haven't I received my statement?

If a mortgage company pays your taxes, the payment information is forwarded to the company per its request. If a mortgage company does not pay your taxes and you have not received a statement by March 1, a copy may be obtained by calling the Treasury Operations, Property Tax Office at (206) 296-0923 or requesting the statement from the Property Tax website. It is also advisable to confirm your mailing address in the event you find it necessary to request a statement.

I won't be able to pay my first half tax by the first half due date. What will happen then?

On the day following the first half due date, interest at 1 percent per month will be charged against the full year tax owing. In addition to the interest, on June 1, a 3 percent penalty will be charged against the full year tax owing and on Dec. 1, another 8 percent penalty will be charged against the full year tax. Although interest continues to accrue as long as the tax remains delinquent, the penalty is assessed against the current year tax and for that year will not rise above a total of 11 percent (3 percent after May 31 and an additional 8 percent after Nov. 30). (RCW 84.56.020) These interest and penalty amounts apply to both real and personal property, however the full year personal property amounts plus interest and/or penalties and collection costs must be paid if the first-half payment is not paid/postmarked by April 30. You may still pay the first half payment of a real property tax plus interest and penalties up through the Oct. 31st, second-half tax-payment deadline.

I have paid the first half tax but won't be able to pay the second half tax by October 31.  What will happen then?

On November 1, interest at 1 percent per month will be charged against the unpaid second half tax amount. In addition to the interest, on December 1, an 8 percent penalty will be charged against the unpaid second half tax amount. (RCW 84.56.020). (External link) Although interest continues to accrue as long as the tax remains delinquent, the penalty is assessed against the current year tax and will not change. These interest and penalty charges apply to both real and personal property.

I have had some hardships lately. Can an extension be granted for more time to pay taxes?

All counties are governed by the laws of the State of Washington. Extensions cannot be granted due to hardship or any other extenuating circumstance.

What are omit (omitted) taxes?

Omit taxes are for improvements to the property to which value should have been assessed in prior years but wasn’t (for example, a new house). Omitted assessments are applicable for up to three prior years. Taxes are based on the assessed value and levy rate appropriate for each prior year.

If your tax statement has the following information on the payment coupon you have an "omit":

In this example the omit was billed for the first time in February 2007. Taxpayers are given an extra year to pay the omitted taxes. In this example, you are allowed to pay the first half omitted tax amount by April 30, 2008 and the balance by Oct. 31, 2008. If the payment were made in this manner, there would not be any delinquency charges. If you want to pay earlier you may do so.

Remember this payment delay only applies to the omit year. The regular (non-omitted) taxes must be paid as they become due in April and October of the current year.

My mortgage company should pay my taxes. What shall I do?

It is always the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure that taxes are paid in a timely manner. Visit the Property Tax  website or dial (206) 296-0923 to be sure the taxes are current. If you have made arrangements with a mortgage company to pay taxes for you and if the mortgage company requests your tax information, we will send it the information.

My mortgage company receives my tax information. How do I get a copy of my tax statement?

An informational statement may be obtained by contacting the Treasury Operations at (206) 296-0923 or requesting the statement from this web site after looking up your parcel or account information.

My mortgage company receives my tax information. How do I find where my taxes go?

A courtesy property tax notice will be mailed in late March to all taxpayers for whom a mortgage lender requested property tax payment information. The notice provides the same information as that available on property tax statements and a pie chart showing the distribution of property taxes in King County. This notice is not a bill and should not be used to make payments.

I did not receive a statement telling me the second half payment was due and now I have late penalty charges. Why did I not get a statement?

Consistent with Washington State law, current year King County property tax statements are mailed once a year on February 14th. Other than that one mailing, we do not mail additional statements unless we receive a request to do so. It is unfortunate that you were not aware that there would be no statement sent for the October 31 deadline, however, it is the taxpayer's responsibility to be aware of the need to pay taxes and to seek information such as deadlines, amounts to pay, etc.

May I pay next year's property taxes in the current year?

Washington State law (RCW 84.56.010) specifies the collection dates for property taxes and does not allow county treasurers to collect property taxes until February 15 of the year that they are due. Thus, you may not pay next year's taxes prior to February 15 of that year.

Where can I find additional information regarding property taxes?

Additional information about property taxes can be found at the following links:

• King County Tax Information Links
• King County Executive's Understanding Property Taxes
• King County Assessor's Office
• King County Assessor's Office - Property Taxes
• Washington State Department of Revenue (External link)

Are the items listed as 'Other Charges' on the statement and the website tax deductible?

Depending on the location of the property other charges may include: Surface Water Management Charge, Drainage (City of Seattle), Fire Protection Fee, King Conservation District (CD) Fee, and the Noxious Weed Fee. You may wish to consult with your tax counsel on the federal tax consequence of any non-ad valorem tax charge listed on your statement or the web page.

How do I change my mailing address or the name on my statement?

An address change can be accomplished in person at the above listed address or by mailing a request to:

How do I find my personal property (business or mobile home) tax account number?

Your personal property tax account number is located on your Personal Property Tax Statement and Assessor's Personal Property Tax Affidavit or Valuation Notice. You may also obtain your business personal property or mobile home tax account number by calling (206) 296-5126 or call Treasury Operations at (206) 296-4290.

My taxes are overpaid. How do I obtain a refund?

• Only when more than the full year amount is paid are property taxes considered overpaid.
• Two payments made in April are not an overpayment. The second payment is accepted and the taxes are considered paid in full for the entire year. (Nothing further would be due in October.)
• If a third "half" amount is received, this would cause an account to be overpaid and subject to refund.
• Our office will mail an overpayment (refund) notice to the party that made the last payment. Normally it takes about two weeks to receive a refund check after the overpayment notice has been returned to our office. During the peak payment periods in April and October, this process can take up to four weeks.
• A written request (please include the property tax account/parcel number) may be sent in lieu of the overpayment notice by fax to (206) 205-0776 or regular mail to:
     King County Treasury
     Attn: Property Tax Refund
     500 Fourth Avenue, Room 600
     Seattle, WA 98104
  Since we require a signature, email refund requests cannot be accepted.

Online Payment Information

• Use our online payment service to pay your half-year taxes for current (non-delinquent) accounts only. Note: Online payments will not be accepted after midnight on the property tax due date, since the payment is delinquent and must include statutory delinquency charges (RCW 84.56.020).
• To pay the entire year taxes, wait 24 hours after paying the first half and return to the website.
• Your payment is effective as of the date/time indicated in the confirmation email that was sent when your payment was made. A payment will normally clear your checking account or post to your credit card account within two business days. However, it may take up to two weeks for your property tax payment to be reflected in our computer system records after receiving your payment due to the volume of payments being processed.

What information do I need before I can make an online payment?

You first need to obtain a real estate or personal property tax number as follows:

• If you don’t know your Real Property tax account or parcel number, use the  Parcel Viewer  to find it.
• If you don't know your Personal Property tax account number, please call 206-296-4290.
• If you need to look up a parcel number after you have begun selecting parcels for payment, our system will not remember what you had already selected for payment, so you will need to start over.

How is my personal information protected?

King County is committed to protecting your information so that it is not lost, misused, or changed without your permission (KCC 2.14.030). Increasingly, you have the option to do business with county agencies over the Web, including making electronic payments for goods and services. Such transactions are allowed only under tightly controlled circumstances where there are appropriate technological and other safeguards in place to protect financial and other sensitive data from being stolen or tampered with. For example, when you give us your bank account number for Internet check processing, it is protected by Secure Socket Layer (SSL) server software which encrypts the information, so it can be securely sent across the Internet.

The design of King County’s electronic commerce systems is such that financial data remains primarily with financial institutions, while county agencies focus on service to our customers. Wherever possible, financial information is not seen or collected by the agency itself. Instead, designated banks route the data, transfer the funds, and confirm payment to both you and the agency.

When you communicate with us by email, you should be aware that email is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication with us includes sensitive information, like your bank account number or social security number, you should contact us by telephone or by postal mail.

* To download a free PDF document reader, follow this link.

How do I pay for multiple parcels in one transaction?

Click here to see instructions in our demo.

How can I pay the entire year of taxes online in one transaction?

At this time our system only displays the half amount of tax that is due, and we do not have the ability to accept the full year tax payment online in one transaction. To pay the entire year tax, wait 24 hours after paying the first half and return to the website to pay the second half amount. We built this 24 hour time lag into our process to keep taxpayers from accidentally creating two transactions when they only intended to pay half. We treat the second transaction made on the same day as a duplicate (an error) and it does not process.

Specific information about internet check payments

• Pay taxes for an unlimited number of tax accounts/parcels with one Internet Check.
• A $0.95 convenience fee will be added to the total taxes due on the tax accounts/parcels you select to pay online. This covers the transaction fees charged to the county to process your Internet check.
• RCW 36.29.190 requires that the payer, not the county, bear the cost of processing online tax payments. King County does not receive any part of this fee.

Why am I charged a $0.95 fee to pay via e-check?

King County charges a $0.95 fee for processing e-checks because Washington State law ( RCW 36.29.190) prohibits the County from absorbing any processing costs or fees for electronic payments involving property taxes. The law requires that the payer must bear any and all processing costs for any type of property tax payment made through any electronic media -- credit cards, e-checks, etc. The company that processes the e-check imposes the $0.95 fee. Please note that you may pay an unlimited number of property tax accounts for the $0.95 fee.

What types of checks do you or do you not accept?

We DO NOT ACCEPT the following types of checks for online payments:

• Convenience checks drawn on credit card accounts
• Home equity line of credit checks
• Cashiers checks and treasurers checks
• Travelers checks and Money Orders
• Investment/brokerage account checks
• Real Estate Line of Credit checks, also called RELOC checks

We DO ACCEPT the following types of checks:

• Personal checks
• Business checks

What information do I need from my check and where is it located?

Internet checks are an electronic version of a physical check. When you make your online tax payment, you authorize the bank to electronically withdraw funds from your account for the amount of your tax payment and $0.95 convenience fee.
In order to create this Internet check, you will be asked for specific numbers that appear on the bottom of your physical check.

• The Routing Transit Number  (RTN) is the 9-digit number that identifies your bank. It is the first group of numbers at the bottom of your check.
• The Account Number  appears as the second group of numbers to the right of the RTN. Be careful not to include the check number which is the third group of numbers located to the right of the Account Number.
• Note: If you enter the wrong account number in error and your electronic check does not successfully clear your bank account, you will be assessed a $25 NSF charge and any applicable delinquency charges by the county.

Specific information about credit card payments

• You may pay with American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard, or VISA.
• All payments are processed immediately and the amount of your transaction including the tax payment and a 2.5% transaction fee will appear on your monthly card statement.
• RCW 36.29.190 requires that the payer, not the county, bear the cost of processing online tax payments. King County does not receive any part of this fee.

Why am I charged a 2.5% fee to pay via credit card?

King County charges a 2.5% fee for processing credit card payments because Washington State law (RCW 36.29.190) prohibits the County from absorbing any processing costs or fees for electronic payments involving property taxes. The law requires that the payer must bear any and all processing costs for any type of property tax payment made through any electronic media -- credit cards, e-checks, etc. The company that processes the credit card payment imposes the 2.5% fee.

What is the credit card verification code?

The Verification Code is a 3 or 4-digit number printed on a credit card that is used to prevent credit card fraud. On most cards, a 3-digit number is printed on the back of the card in the signature strip. American Express cards have a 4-digit number that is printed on the face of the card.

 

How will I receive confirmation that my eTax payment has been made?

The next to the last screen in the payment process will ask you to verify the information you have entered. After confirming the information is correct, you will then click the “submit” button. The final page in the payment process is a “Payment Confirmation” screen. You will be asked to print this page which includes the following information;

• Customer name
• Payment amount
• Payment date
• Transaction number

Can senior and disabled property owners receive a property-tax deduction?

If your annual income does not exceed $35,000 and you own and reside in your home, including mobile homes, you may be entitled to a property tax reduction. You must be at least 61 years of age or, if under 61 years, retired because of a disability and unable to work. Property taxes may be deferred under certain conditions. For details, see  this  or call the Department of Assessments at (206) 296-3920.

I plan to make home improvements: Can I get an exemption from taxes on the value of the improvements?

If you improve your single family residence by adding new rooms, decks, patios or other improvements, you may apply for a three-year exemption from taxes on the value of the physical improvement. You must apply for the exemption before construction is complete. For details, please call the Department of Assessments at (206) 296-7300 or see  this.

I applied for a senior citizens/disabled persons exemption but it is not reflected on my tax statement. What happened?

Please contact the King County Department of Assessments, Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Exemption Section at (206) 296-3920 to obtain information about your application.

This is the first time I have ever received a senior citizens/disabled persons exemption. Why did I receive two statements?

The Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Exemption applies only to one acre of land and residence. If you received two statements, one of the following circumstances should apply to you: 1) The property for which you are being taxed consists of more than one acre. 2) The property for which you are being taxed is a multi-family unit or has an additional home (only the unit which the owner resides in qualifies for the exemption). If none of the above listed circumstances apply or you wish to obtain more information, you may call the King County Department of Assessments, Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Exemption Section at (206) 296-3920 for assistance.

My property has been damaged: Can I get a reduction in assessed-value and taxes?

If your property is damaged or destroyed, you may be eligible for a reduction in your assessed-value and taxes. For details, see  this, or call the Department of Assessments at (206) 296-5151.

What can I do if I disagree with my assessed value?

If you feel a mistake has been made in valuing your property, contact the Department of Assessments at (206) 296-7300 or see  this  You may also file a valuation appeal by contacting the King County Board of Equalization at (206) 296-3496. 

How do I find out information about my assessed value? How was my assessed-value determined?

You can look up your property's assessed value online, using the  Property Information System.  For further information, contact the Department of Assessments by calling (206) 296-7300 or visiting their  website.

What do I need to do to sell or transfer my Mobile Home?

If you are selling or transferring the title of your Mobile Home and the mobile home will not be moved.

You are required to complete a Mobile Home Excise Tax Affidavit to document the sale and pay excise tax on the sale price. The full year’s taxes and all delinquent taxes must be paid and certified as paid on the Excise Tax Affidavit. This is done at the Treasury Operations Office, the form can be found on the web  here. (PDF document*) (External link) The Excise Tax Affidavit is then taken to the King County Records Office to be recorded. Once recorded your copy of the Excise Tax Affidavit can be taken to the Department of Licensing to change the ownership on the title. (All of these offices are located in the King County Administration Building.)

You can obtain the Mobile Home Excise Tax Affidavit at the King County Treasury Operations Office, located in Room 600, at 500 4th Avenue, Seattle. For questions call: Treasury Operations/Mobile Homes 206-296-4267 or 206-296-4290.

If you are selling your Mobile Home and as a condition of sale the mobile home will be moved.

You will need to obtain a “Tax Certificate for Mobile Home Movement” (move permit) from the Treasury Operations Office. Treasury Operations will certify that any property taxes due on the mobile home have been paid and issue an orange decal (which is valid for 15 days) that must be displayed on the mobile home while being moved. It is a violation of State law to move a mobile home without a validated tax certificate and orange decal. When all property taxes have been paid, Treasury Operations will also issue a “Sale Half Sheet” to document the sale. When a mobile home is moved out of the county, an advance tax for the following year must be paid. The Sale Half Sheet form and the current mobile home title can be taken to the Department of Licensing to pay sales tax and transfer the title into the new owner’s name.

If the title has been previously eliminated, a Manufactured Home Application must be completed in order to move the mobile to another real property site or a mobile home park. Please contact the Department of Licensing at (206) 296-4000 or refer to the Web site:  http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/420729.htm. (External link)

* To download a free PDF document reader, follow this link.

What do I need to do to eliminate the title of my mobile home?

As of March 1, 1990, owners of Manufactured/Mobile Homes have an option in the titling process of their home. Owners may eliminate the separate title and opt to record their home with their land as real property. To apply, the property owner must obtain a Manufactured Home Application. Please contact the Department of Licensing at (206) 296-4000 or refer to the Web site:  http://www.dol.wa.gov/forms/420729.htm. (External link)

What support is available if I have issues using the Property Tax Web?

The Property Tax Web is supported during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm, not including holidays). If an interruption in service occurs during non-business hours, the problem will be addressed at the beginning of the next business day. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.  If you encounter a technical problem while using this site, please leave a comment  here.  Please include the parcel/account number or property address in your comment.  You may leave comments and ask questions by filling out this form.