Tax Office

Property Taxes

The City of El Paso collects property taxes on behalf of all the 44 units of government (full list here) that levy a tax within El Paso County. Our goal is to provide efficient and effective services and to make information readily available for you the taxpayers.

Our office is open to the public. We truly sympathize with all taxpayers experiencing financial difficulties during this crisis. At this time, the Governor has not issued any orders to extend payment deadlines or reduce fees related to property taxes. We have no discretion to waive penalty and interest under these circumstances, nor can we extend delinquency dates.

Please read the Payment Plans section below for additional information on paying delinquent property taxes in installments. Property tax bills are mailed out every October and the payment is due by January 31st. Unpaid tax amounts become delinquent on February 1st.

Current year tax bills with an amount due less than $5 are not being mailed except by owner request per Property Tax Code 31.01 (f).

Payment of Taxes

Payments accompanied by the CURRENT tax bill will be applied to current year taxes, and any remainder will be applied to any additional taxes owed, starting with the most delinquent. PARTIAL PAYMENTS ARE ACCEPTED, however, amounts unpaid by the delinquency date accumulate penalty, interest, and collection fees. Checks returned unpaid by the bank will have all amounts due reinstated, plus an additional $30 FEE PER RETURNED CHECK IS ADDED. Foreign currency or second-party checks are not accepted. The backside of your tax statement provides information regarding multiple payment sites and payment options (as well as some options down below).

Payment Plans

Our office offers two payment plans for qualifying taxpayers:

Escrow Plan (Prepayment of Future Taxes)
This plan allows you to make advance monthly payments toward next year's taxes. Monthly payments are calculated based on the current year's tax amount.
- In order to be eligible for this payment plan, your account must not have any delinquent taxes.
Quarterly Payment Plan (For Current Year Taxes)|
This plan is available to homeowners who have been granted an Over-65, Disability, or Disabled Veteran exemption. It allows you to pay your current year taxes in four installments.
- Payment deadlines are: January 31, March 31, May 31, and July 31.
- To enroll, the first payment of 1/4 of the total tax amount must be paid by January 31.

In order to repay delinquent taxes, individuals can set up a payment agreement with the City Tax Office. You must follow the Payment Agreement Guidelines if you decide to enter the agreement. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you can continue to make payments without a formal contract. However, this will not prevent the City from exercising its option to proceed with legal action, if necessary, to collect delinquent taxes. Our office will accept any payment you wish to make toward your balance.

Delinquent Taxes

Payment Agreement Guidelines (3 different options/contracts):

1. Current Year Payment Contract

Balance due of $1,000 or more (before down payment)
Down payment requirement:
- 20% of Personal Property amount due
- 10% of Real Property amount due
Maximum contract length is 9 months for Personal Property and 12 months for Real Property
Citizens who defaulted on a contract last year must pay the amount due to enter into a new contract this year
Contracts are processed from February through March 31 for Personal Property and February through June 30 for Real Property

2. Homestead Contract

Account must have a Homestead Exemption
Customer has not had an agreement with the Assessor in the past 24 months
Term of contract can be up to 24 months

3. Prior Years Contract

Requires down payment of 1/3 of total amount due (Taxes, Penalty & Interest, Collection Fee)
Maximum contract length of 6 months (Non-Homestead) or 12 months (Homestead)
Personal Property contracts are processed after April 1st on current-year delinquent taxes
Real Property contracts are processed after July 1st on current-year delinquent taxes

For more information, contact:
Delgado, Acosta, Spencer, Linebarger and Perez, LLP at (915) 545-5481