If a mortgage company pays your taxes, the payment information is forwarded to the company per their 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 Treasury Operations at 206-263-2890 or requesting the statement via this link. Please confirm that we have your correct mailing address on file before requesting a new statement.

It is always the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure that taxes are paid in a timely manner. Visit our Property Tax webpage or call 206-263-2890 to confirm that your taxes are current. Mortgage companies typically make these payments through a processing company, and the processing companies typically submit them to us during the final week that they are due. Contact your mortgage company if your payment is still not showing as paid by ten days past the tax due date.

An informational statement may be obtained by contacting Treasury Operations at 206-263-2890 or by requesting the statement from this webpage after looking up your parcel or account information.

Using your parcel number, a pie chart showing the distribution of your specific property taxes can be found at this link.

Under state law, current year King County property tax statements are mailed once a year in mid-February. Other than that one mailing, we do not mail additional statements ahead of the April and October payment deadlines unless we receive a request to do so. It is the taxpayer's responsibility to be aware of the need to pay taxes and to seek information such as deadlines and amounts to pay.

Requests to change an account mailing address must be received in writing or by email. An address change can be made:

• By sending email to kingcountytreasurer@kingcounty.gov
• By completing the Name and Address Update box on your property tax payment stub at the time you are remitting payment
• By clicking here to print a Name and Address Change Request Form. Mail form to:
  • King County Treasury
  • Name and Address Change
  • 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710
  • Seattle, WA 98104
  
  
  • The request should include your tax parcel/account number and your new mailing name and address. Please sign and date a written request. We do not require copies of deeds or other legal documents since you are only changing the property tax mailing information and this does not affect ownership.

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 Assessments at 206-296-7300. You may also use eReal Property Search to look up your parcel information by entering your address.

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

• King County Treasury
• King Street Center
• 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710
• Seattle, WA 98104

In person

Visit the King County Customer Service Center, 201 S. Jackson St., second floor, in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. The CSC is open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Via secure drop box

• Our address is 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle (corner of Second Avenue and Jackson)
• Our box is on the Second Avenue side of the building and is marked TREASURY
• The box is inside the security gates and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays
• Please make sure to include your statement coupon or clearly write you tax account number on the check
• DO NOT DEPOSIT CASH

Yes. If you know your parcel/account number, use this link. If you do not know your parcel number, use this link to look up your account number.

Please see our Online Payments FAQ below for more detailed information about paying your property taxes online.

No, unfortunately our staff are not able to process payments by phone. However, they can talk you through the online payment process if you need assistance.

First half taxes must be paid or postmarked by April 30 or the full year tax becomes delinquent on May 1. Second half taxes must be paid or postmarked by October 31 or they become delinquent on November 1. Late charges are calculated on a monthly basis as per State law RCW 84.56.020.  If your taxes are delinquent, the exact amount due can be found as follows:

• REAL PROPERTY To determine the exact amount due on your tax account (for current and/or prior year taxes): click "Property Taxes" tab in the upper left, then click on the green box to "$ View My Account or Pay Online." Enter your tax account number to view or pay the amount due.
• PERSONAL PROPERTY To determine the exact amount due on your tax account, follow the real property instructions above. If you wish to pay only the first half of your taxes, which is allowed any time before the second half due date, contact Treasury Operations at 206-263-2844 for payment amount and payment instructions.
  

If you know the correct amount to pay, it is not necessary to have a tax statement accompany your payment. Make your check payable to King County Treasury and mail it to 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710, Seattle, WA 98104. Write your tax account/parcel number on the check and make sure it is postmarked by the due date.

Taxpayers are responsible for knowing that their property is taxable every year, the due date of those taxes, that there are sufficient funds available in their bank account to cover the tax amount, and that their payment was successfully processed. Taxpayers should validate through their bank that the payment has cleared.

Your personal property tax account number is located on your Personal Property Tax Statement, the Assessor's elisting documents or valuation notice. You may also obtain your business personal property or mobile home tax account number by calling the Department of Assessments at 206-296-5126 (select option 3) or Treasury Operations at 206-263-2844.

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

On the day following the first half due date, monthly late charges are calculated based on the full year amount of tax owed.  This is based on State law RCW 84.56.020. Late charges continue to accrue as long as the tax remains delinquent.  You may still pay the first-half payment of real or personal property taxes plus applicable late charges prior to the October 31 second-half payment deadline.

• Delinquent first half REAL property taxes paid before October 31 can be viewed or paid online. To determine the exact amount due on your tax account: click “Property Taxes” tab in the upper left, then click on the green box to “$ View My Account or Pay Online.” Enter your tax account number to view or pay the amount due.
• Delinquent first half PERSONAL property taxes paid before October 31 cannot be paid online and must be mailed to King County Treasury. Call for amount due at 206-263-2844. To view or pay the full year grand total amount of your delinquent taxes, follow the above delinquent real property instructions for accessing information online. 
• Payment plans are available through the county. See FAQ about payment plans for details.

On November 1, monthly late charges will be calculated against the unpaid second half tax amount until paid.  Late charge calculations are determined by State law RCW 84.56.020. Late charges apply to both real and personal property.

All counties in Washington are governed by state law. Extensions cannot be granted due to hardship or any other extenuating circumstance. See below FAQ about PAYMENT PLANS to see if you may be eligible to participate.

Payment plans are available for past due PRIOR  AND CURRENT YEAR taxes. Specific conditions apply!

In an effort to provide greater flexibility and options to taxpayers, King County offers monthly payment plans for delinquent prior year(s) taxes.  There are conditions and limitations to think about when considering a delinquent year payment plan through King County: 

• There is no reduction of late charges under a payment plan agreement. State law does not allow for forgiveness or reduction of delinquent charges for taxpayers participating in delinquent year payment plans. When a payment plan is calculated, the projected payoff date (no greater than 12 months) is identified which must include all projected interest charges during that time period and must be factored into the monthly payment.
• After a formal written agreement is established between the Taxpayer and King County Treasury, an outside vendor, Evergreen Escrow, administers your monthly payments. Taxpayers participating in a payment program must pay the vendor a $75 setup fee for each payment plan. Taxpayers are also charged a $15 monthly processing fee for each monthly payment.
• If you are three years or more delinquent you may be subject to foreclosure action. Contact King County Treasury Foreclosure Unit for more details. Call 206-263-2649.

Contact King County Treasury at PaymentPlans@kingcounty.gov or call 206-263-2649 if you feel you may be eligible to participate in the County’s payment plan option.

If you are a senior citizen or disabled person with limited income, you may qualify for a reduction in your property taxes. Visit TaxRelief.kingcounty.gov or call the Assessor’s Office at 206-296-3920.

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 information like the following on payment coupon you have an omit.

In this example, the omit was billed for the first time in February 2016. 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, 2017 and the balance by October 31, 2017. If the payment was 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.

No. State law specifies the collection dates for property taxes and does not allow county treasurers to collect property taxes until the year that they are due.

Yes, however you need the parcel number to make payment online or by check. If you are paying by check, include the parcel number on the check.

• If you don't know your real property tax account or parcel number, use the eReal Property Search tool to find it.
• If you don't know your personal property tax account number, please call 206-263-2844.
• 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.

For real property tax accounts, you may use our online payment service to pay half-year taxes, full-year taxes, or delinquent taxes. Online payments made after midnight on the due date are late and will include delinquency charges as allowed by state law.

For personal property tax accounts, you may use our online payment service to pay your half-year taxes for current (non-delinquent) accounts only. Personal property tax payments made online will not be accepted after midnight on the property tax due date, since the payment is late and must include delinquency charges as allowed by state law.

To pay personal property taxes for the entire year, wait 24 hours after paying the first half and then return to this website. This is a limitation of our online payment system, and we apologize for the inconvenience.

To pay your entire year of real property tax, simply check both boxes for the two current half-year payments and these will be added to your cart.

For personal property tax payments, our system does not currently provide the option of paying the full year in one transaction. You must pay one half and return to our payment site at least four days later to submit the second half payment. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Your payment is effective as of the date and time indicated in the confirmation email that is sent when your payment is made. A payment will normally clear your checking account or post to your credit card within three business days. However, it may take up to two weeks for your payment to be reflected in our records.

To pay delinquent taxes, simply check the box(es) for the year(s) you wish to pay and these will be added to your cart. State law allows you to select which delinquent years you wish to pay, but you must pay the full amount due for each year selected.

No. Since additional foreclosure costs apply, you must call 206-263-2649 to obtain this amount and to pay the total due.

An eCheck is an online version of a physical check that is deducted directly from your checking account. 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 a $0.55 convenience fee. In order to create an eCheck, you will be asked for specific numbers that appear on the bottom of your physical check.

Click to enlarge

• The Routing Transit Number (RTN) is the nine-digit number that identifies your bank. It is the first group of numbers at the bottom of your check. Do not enter spaces or dashes.
• Your Account Number appears as the second group of numbers to the right of the RTN. Do not enter spaces or dashes.
• Be careful not to include your check number, which is the third group of numbers located to the right of your Account Number.

Note: If you enter the wrong account number in error and your electronic check does not successfully clear your bank, you will be assessed a $35 Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) charge and any applicable delinquency charges.

We accept the following types of checks for online (eCheck) payments:

• Personal checks
• Business checks

We do not accept the following types of checks for online payments:

• Convenience checks drawn on credit card accounts
• Cashier's checks or treasurer's checks
• Travelers checks
• Money orders
• Home equity line of credit (HELOC) checks
• Real estate line of credit (RELOC) checks
• Investment or brokerage account checks

If you have questions about payment types accepted, call us at 206-263-2890 or email e-tax@kingcounty.gov.

For credit cards only: King County accepts credit cards for online tax payments. You may pay with VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover. All credit card payments are processed immediately for the amount of your transaction, as well as a transaction fee. The fee is 2.35% of the total amount charged, with a minimum fee of $2.00.

For debit cards only: King County accepts debit cards for online tax payments.  You may pay with VISA only.  All debit card payments are processed immediately for the amount of your transaction, as well as a transaction fee.  The fee is a flat fee of $3.50. 

The transaction fee is charged by our payment processor. King County does not receive any part of the transaction fee and state law does not allow King County to waive this fee.

A CVV is a code printed on your credit card that is used to discourage fraud.

On VISA, MasterCard, and Discover cards, the CVV is three digits printed on the back of the card in or near the signature strip.

On American Express cards, the CVV is four digits, and printed on the front of the card.

Click to enlarge

State law does not allow King County to absorb processing costs or fees associated with electronic payments involving property taxes. These fees are collected by the payment processor, and King County does not receive any portion of these fees.

The fee for processing an eCheck is a flat $0.55. The fee for processing credit card payments is 2.35% of the transaction amount, with a minimum charge of $2.00.

There is no fee for check payments made in person or by mail. In-person credit card payments are still subject to the 2.35% processing fee.

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, 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

If you do not receive either the confirmation page or email, please contact us at e-tax@kingcounty.gov.

It may take up to a week for your property tax payment to be reflected in our records after we receive it. However, even after we show your account in "paid" status on our website, if your bank rejects the transaction it can be reversed off our system once we are notified. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to confirm successful posting with their bank.

King County is committed to protecting your information so that it is not lost, misused, or changed without your permission. We use industry standard technological and other safeguards to protect financial and other sensitive data from being stolen or tampered with.

King County's electronic commerce systems are designed so 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 phone or by postal mail.

You can look up your property's assessed value online using the Assessor's eReal Property tool. For further information about your property assessment, visit the Department of Assessments webpage or call 206-296-7300.

The amount of your property tax bill is based upon the costs of your state and local government. This includes the operating costs of your schools, your city and county, and of taxing districts such as hospital, fire, and sewer districts. The assessed value of your property is multiplied by the tax rate necessary in your levy area to produce your fair share of the total levied tax by these jurisdictions.

If you believe a mistake has been made in valuing your property, contact the Department of Assessments at 206-296-7300 or visit the Assessor's website. You may also file a valuation appeal by contacting the King County Board of Appeals and Equalization at 206-477-3400. Additional information about appeals is also available from the Assessor's Office.

If your property is damaged or destroyed, you may be eligible for a reduction in your assessed value and taxes. For details, visit the Assessor's Office webpage or call 206-263-2332.

If your annual income does not exceed the threshold 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, visit the Assessor's Office webpage or call 206-296-3920.

Please contact the Department of Assessments at 206-296-3920 to obtain information about your application.

The Senior Citizens/Disabled Persons Exemption applies only to one acre of land and one residence. If you received two statements, one of the following circumstances likely apply to you:

• The property for which you are being taxed consists of more than one acre
• The property for which you are being taxed is a multi-family unit or has an additional home. Only the unit in which the owner resides qualifies for the exemption.

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, visit the Department of Assessments webpage or call 206-263-2338.

You will need to obtain a Tax Certificate for Mobile Home Movement, also called a move permit, from Treasury Operations. Our office will certify that any property taxes due on the mobile home have been paid and issue an orange decal, valid for 15 days, that must be displayed on the mobile home while it is being moved. It is a violation of state law to move a mobile home without a validated tax certificate and decal.

When all property taxes have been paid, Treasury Operations will issue a Sale Half Sheet to document the sale. When a mobile home is moved out of King 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 home to another real property site or a mobile home park. For more information, visit the Department of Licensing website or call 206-477-4000.

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 Excise Tax Affidavit is then taken to the King County Recorder's Office to be recorded. Once recorded, your copy of the Excise Tax Affidavit can be taken to the state Department of Licensing to change the ownership on the title. All of these offices are located in the King County Administration Building in downtown Seattle.

You can obtain a Mobile Home Excise Tax Affidavit at:

• King County Treasury Operations
• King Street Center
• 201 S. Jackson St., Suite 710
• Seattle, WA 98104

As of March 1, 1990, owners of manufactured or mobile homes have had 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 . For more information, visit the Department of Licensing website or call 206-477-4000.

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

• King County Tax Information
• King County Assessor's Office
• Washington State Department of Revenue

Depending on the location of your property, other charges may include a surface water management charge, City of Seattle drainage charge, fire protection fee, King Conservation District (KCD) fee, and the noxious weed fee. Consult an income tax professional on the federal tax consequences of any non-ad valorem charge listed on your property tax statement.

Only when more than the full year amount is paid are property taxes considered overpaid. Two payments made in April are not considered an overpayment. The second payment is accepted and the taxes are considered paid in full for the entire year, and 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. Treasury Operations 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.

You may also request a refund by Email, mail or FAX. Please include the property tax account/parcel number and a proper mailing address.  FAX number is 206-296-7345.

Email to:taxoverpayment@kingcounty.gov

• Mail to:
• King County Treasury
• Property Tax Refund
• 201 S. Jackson St, Suite 710
• Seattle, WA 98104