Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can make an advance payment. If you wish to make a payment in advance of the tax year the county will calculate your taxes using the current tax rate in effect applied to the prior year assessment. No interest will be credited to your payment. If the taxes due on the property for the year of payment made exceeds the amount paid, a balance due letter will be sent to the tax payer.

Properties are reassessed once every 3 years and property owners are notified of any change in their assessment. An explanation of the assessment process can be found at

Interest is calculated on the unpaid tax liability. This would include county and state property taxes less the amount if any of payments made for each month or fraction of a month that the tax is overdue. (Harford County Code, §14-101 and §14-605)

State law provides that all real property is subject to a property tax. You will receive a property tax bill each year. The property owner is responsible for payment of property taxes. The County mails the property tax bill to the owner of record on the tax roll. The tax roll is prepared from the assessment roll that is maintained by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation. About June 1 each year the State Department of Assessments and Taxation prepares the information on the assessment roll to be used by the County to create the tax roll. The assessment roll contains the name and address of the owner of record; brief description of the property, and the value and assessment of the property.

Under the law it is assumed that delivery of the bill is made unless it is returned to the County by the Postal Service. If you did not receive a property tax bill, you should immediately contact the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-638-3269 for a copy of your bill.

Harford County's Department of Treasury - Revenue Collections can answer your questions. That number is 410-638-3269.

Please contact the Bureau of Revenue Collections at 410-638-3269 to request a new copy of your property tax bill.

Under current State law all residential property that is owner occupied is required to make payment of property taxes on a semiannual basis. However, as an individual, you may elect to pay the total amount due. If you have a mortgage company or other escrow account holder for your property taxes you can request that they make payment on an annual basis. The property owner must notify them by April 30 of the year prior to the taxes being due.

If you are paying your taxes directly, then all you need to do is to make payment of the full annual amount as provided on your tax bill by September 30. If your mortgage holder pays your taxes from an escrow account, you must notify them of your choice. Current State law requires mortgage holders to pay on a semiannual basis unless otherwise directed by the property owner.

Property taxes are due on the property July 1. As discussed in a previous question the owner of the property has until September 30 to pay the bill without incurring additional costs. As of October 1 interest is added to the bill for any portion of that month at a current rate of 1½% on the County portion and 1% on the State portion for each month that payment is not made. Also, on October 1 a one-time 6% penalty is assessed on the County property tax portion. At the end of February of each year a delinquent notice is mailed to the owner of the property if any amount of taxes are still unpaid. Beginning April 1 additional charges are added to the property tax bill for the cost of preparing the property for Tax Sale.

If the taxes are not paid by April 1 the property will be advertised for Tax Sale in the local newspaper twice during the month of April. If they remain unpaid as of May 1 additional charges are added to the bill for the costs of the Tax Sale. The property is advertised a total of four more times during the months of May and June in preparation for the Tax Sale that occurs in the County the 3rd Monday in June each year.

Tax Sale is where a property is sold at public auction to the highest bidder for nonpayment of property taxes and other fees. At the Tax Sale the bidding starts at taxes due plus interest and penalties and other expenses incurred in making the sale. The lien on the property then passes to the Tax Sale purchaser. A Tax Sale certificate is given to the purchaser. The Tax Sale certificate is valid for a period of two years unless redemption of the property occurs. For redemption to occur, in general, the property owner must pay the County (1) the total price paid at the Tax Sale for the property together with interest; (2) any taxes, interest, and penalties paid by any holder of the certificate of sale; (3) any taxes, interest, and penalties accruing after the date of the Tax Sale; and (4) any expenses or fees for which the holder of the certificate of sale is entitled for reimbursement in any action or preparation for foreclosure on the property.

The current rate is 12% on the amount paid the day of Tax Sale by the purchaser.

The tax year for property taxes is July 1 to June 30, both inclusive, for which the county computes, imposes and collects taxes.

No property tax money goes to support the water and sewer system. In accordance with the County Charter the water and sewer fund is self-supporting and is paid for by the users of the system.

Customers of the county's water and sewer system may have 2 types of bills. The 1st bill is a quarterly bill for usage. This bill is generally based on the amount of water used by the property. Usage bills pay the cost of the daily operation and maintenance of the water and sewer system in the County and are increased annually by the CPI. The 2nd type of bill is for capital charges. The amount of capital charges varies from property to property depending on the time period of connection and location in the County. These charges are used to pay for the cost of construction transmission facilities, pumping stations, water booster stations, storage facilities, treatment facilities, etc. Usage bills: The County bills each customer for water and sewage usage on a quarterly basis. Each customer has 30 days for payment. After 30 days a 5% late fee is added to the bill as required by the County Code Section 256-19(A)(4). Service may be terminated if the bill remains unpaid. If service is terminated an additional fee of $50 will be added to the bill for turn-off / turn-on. Water and Sewer Capital Charges: Depending on where the property is located in the County, a property served by the County's water and sewer system can have 1 or more annual assessments that are due on the property. Most annual assessments are mailed July 1 to the latest property owner of record. An additional 1.5% is added to the base bill for each month or portion of a month the assessment is past due. Should the assessment remain unpaid as of the third Monday in June, the property will be sold at the annual Tax Sale of the County. To determine the amount of any assessments on a property, you may view the amount due online at Property Bill Search or call the Water and Sewer Accounting Section at 410-638-3311. They will provide you with an explanation of the charges against your property and the length of time remaining for the assessment.

The County provides several ways for you to make payment. For a complete list, please visit the