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Frequently Asked Questions
 What are the duties of the TAX COLLECTOR?
What is a SECURED TAX BILL?
I have received a SECURED TAX BILL for a home (or property) I no longer own. Do I still have to pay the taxes?
What is an UNSECURED TAX STATEMENT?
What is a SUPPLEMENTAL TAX BILL?
I bought a house in the last year and just got my property tax bill, but I also received two supplemental tax bills. What's going on?
Can I pay my property taxes by CREDIT CARD?
My tax bill was mailed to the wrong address and I never received it. If I pay you immediately, will you remove the penalties?
I placed my payment in the mailbox at the post office on the day my payment was due. Why was a late charge assessed?
I was out of town and couldn't get back in time to mail my tax payment. Why do I have to pay a penalty?
My business was sold in January and I still received a tax bill. Why do I have to pay taxes on a business I no longer own?
The Tax Collector placed a lien on my name which, appears on my credit report. How do I get it changed?
My business is being taxed by both Orange County and Los Angeles County and I would like to know why?
The value of my business property is over-assessed by the Assessor's office. May I pay taxes on the estimated worth of my business property while I work with the Assessor to correct the over-assessment?
What is a DEFAULTED TAX BILL?
I recently purchased a home in Orange County. When will I receive a tax bill?
I recently refinanced my house and I am not sure whether my new lender will pay my property taxes. What should I do?
I paid my taxes yesterday afternoon at your office. Why are they not showing paid on your web site?
Can I obtain a copy of my tax bill from the web site?
I have some unpaid taxes for the past two years. Where can I find this information on your web site?
The total value shown for my property on your web page seems high. How can I get this reduced?
I have a question on the assessed value of my property and the exemptions I may be entitled to. Who do I call?
Do you have pay by "e-check" on your web site?
Is there a fee for paying my property taxes online?
I paid my property taxes online but made a mistake while entering my ACH information. I only realized it after I hit the Submit button and got a payment confirmation number. How do I correct my ACH information after it has been submitted ?
Q. What are the duties of the TAX COLLECTOR?
A. The Tax Collector collects all property taxes pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code Section 2602. This represents approximately $4.3 billion for the County, Schools, Cities and Special Districts. For additional information, see the County of Orange Treasurer-Tax Collector Business Plan on our web page.
Q. What is a SECURED TAX BILL?
A. A SECURED TAX BILL covers all real estate taxes. These taxes are a lien on a real property.
Q. I have received a SECURED TAX BILL for a home (or property) I no longer own. Do I still have to pay the taxes?
A. If you no longer own this property, you can forward the bill to the new owner, or mark the envelope "sold" with the new owner's name and return it to the Tax Collector's office. The new owner is responsible for paying secured property taxes.
Q. What is an UNSECURED TAX STATEMENT?
A. An UNSECURED TAX STATEMENT covers all business, aircraft, mobile homes and boat taxes. These taxes are a lien on the assessed owner of the property.
Q. What is a SUPPLEMENTAL TAX BILL?
A. A SUPPLEMENTAL TAX BILL is levied on property as it exists on the date of the change in ownership or completion of new construction in accordance with Article XIII A of the California Constitution. Supplemental taxes represent the additional taxes due as a result of ownership change or new construction. If you purchased the property for less than the amount assessed on the tax roll and the current taxes are paid, you will receive a supplemental tax refund.
Q. I bought a house in the last year and just got my property tax bill, but I also received two supplemental tax bills. What's going on?
A.The first year of owning a new home can be confusing because of the government cycle for assessing property and sending out tax bills.
My office sends out property tax bills every year in September, based on the property's assessed value on Jan. 1 of that year. The first installment payment is due no later than Dec. 10, the second by April 10. However, in 2010 the due date is extended to April 12th, since the 10th falls on a Saturday.
A supplemental tax bill is sent out separately, covering the difference between the previous owner's property value and your purchase price.
The tax bill is based on the county's fiscal year from July 1 to June 30. Depending on when you bought your property or completed your new construction, you may get one or two supplemental tax bills.
Let's say you bought your house on Aug. 31 of this year for $500,000 and the house previously was valued at $200,000.
The tax bill my office sent in September was based on the previous owner's $200,000 value as of January 1st, and was for the fiscal year that ends June 30th. The seller should have paid part of that tax (from July 1 to Aug. 31) when escrow closed.
A supplemental bill, usually sent three to six months after the purchase (depending on when the assessor's office forwards the necessary data), will cover the additional $300,000 in value for the current fiscal year.
If, however, you bought the house between Jan. 1 and May 31, your tax bill would straddle two fiscal years. So if you bought on March 31, then you would receive one supplemental tax bill for the difference in value for the April 1 to June 30, period, and a second bill for July 1 to the following June 30th of the following year.
This is how secured property taxes are handled under Proposition 13 during transitions between sellers and buyers.
Property tax under Prop. 13 is based on 1percent of the purchase price of your home. It is important to note that your combined property tax bills should not exceed this threshold. However, the bills we send out may be higher because assessments for such matters as school bonds, Mello-Roos, vector control and sanitation services may be added.
Q. Can I pay my property taxes by CREDIT CARD?
A. Yes, property owners can pay their taxes by credit card. We accept American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard and Visa whether you want to pay your taxes in person, over the phone or via the internet. Please note a 2.5% convenience fee will apply. To pay by phone, call (714) 834-3411 or click on this link to pay online.
Q. My tax bill was mailed to the wrong address and I never received it. If I pay my taxes immediately, will you remove the penalties?
A. Pursuant to the Revenue and Taxation Code Section 2610.5, failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer of responsibility for payment, nor does it constitute cause for cancellation or waiver of penalties or costs should the bill become delinquent.
Q. I placed my payment in the mailbox at the post office on the day my payment was due. Why was a late charge assessed?
A. Placing the envelope in the post office box does not guarantee that the mail will be processed the same day/ evening. State law requires that payment be treated as if it had been received on the date shown by the post office cancellation mark on the envelope. Only U. S. Federal Government postmarks will be accepted. To avoid penalties, ask to have the envelope hand canceled by the post office. Metered mail is not accepted as a valid cancellation.
Q. I was out of town and couldn't get back in time to mail my tax payment. Why do I have to pay a penalty?
A. Pursuant to Revenue and Taxation Code, taxpayers are responsible for making timely payments of their property taxes prior to the delinquent date. Therefore, we are unable to cancel your penalties.
Q. My business was sold in January and I still received a tax bill. Why do I have to pay taxes on a business I no longer own?
A. The tax liability (lien) date is January 1 at 12:01 a.m. This date determines the liability for the current year (July 1 to June 30). In this instance, the tax bill would have been issued in your business name and the liability is your responsibility. A recommendation is for the sale agreement to provide that the purchaser pays an estimated tax at the time of business transfer.
Q. The Tax Collector placed a lien on my name, which appears on my credit report. How do I get it changed?
A. A lien is placed against the individual for delinquent unpaid taxes. In order to clear the delinquency, all taxes, costs, and penalties must be paid. Upon payment in full, the Treasurer-Tax Collector's office advises the County Recorder's office of the payment. This information is then obtained by the credit bureaus and they update their records to show that the lien had been satisfied. Taxpayers must be aware that neither the Treasurer-Tax Collector nor the County Recorder forward cleared delinquencies to credit agencies.
Q. Both Orange County and Los Angeles County are taxing my business and I would like to know why?
A. In this situation, the Treasurer-Tax Collector's office must refer you to the County Assessor's office. The County Assessor is the only Department that can determine tax liability. If you were not in business in Orange County on January 1 (lien date), then you may want to provide the Assessor some type of proof, such as a copy of the tax bill from the other county, cancellation of a lease agreement and/or the closing electric or telephone bill. You can reach the Assessor's office at (714) 834-2727 or view the Assessor's website at http://www.oc.ca.gov/assessor.
Q. The value of my business property is over-assessed by the Assessor's office. May I pay taxes on the estimated worth of my business property while I work with the Assessor to correct the over-assessment?
A. The Revenue and Taxation Code requires you to pay the full amount of the current tax bill. You will receive a refund with interest (if interest is greater than $10.00) upon a correction issued by the Assessor's office.
Q. What is a DEFAULTED TAX BILL?
A. Any unpaid current SECURED PROPERTY TAXES as of 5:00 p.m. June 30th will be enrolled on the DEFAULTED MASTER TAX FILE. After a $23.00 redemption fee, the delinquent bill will accrue penalties of 1.5% per month until paid in full. These tax bills are also referred to as PRIOR YEAR SECURED TAXES or redemptions.
Q. I recently purchased a home in Orange County. When will I receive a tax bill?
A. The Treasurer-Tax Collector mails secured tax bills once each year at the end of September. If you have not received your property tax bill by October, please call our office at (714) 834-3411 to request a duplicate tax bill or visit our website at www.ttc.ocgov.com and a copy of your current bill will be available if you follow the link under "Pay/Review Your Property Taxes".
Q. I recently refinanced my house and I am not sure whether my new lender will pay my property taxes. What should I do?
A. Please contact your new lender for this information. If you are not sure, we recommend that you pay the property taxes yourself. Duplicate payments will be refunded within 6 weeks of receipt.
Q. I paid my taxes yesterday afternoon at your office. Why are they not showing paid on your web site?
A. Payments, corrections and other adjustments take 2-3 business days before they are reflected on the web site. All online payments are time and date stamped; as long as your payment confirmation date is before the delinquent date, your taxes will be considered timely.
Q. Can I obtain a copy of my tax bill from the web site?
A. Yes. A copy of your current year Secured property tax bill is available on our website at www.ttc.ocgov.com under "Pay/Review Your Property Taxes".
Q. I have some unpaid taxes for the past two years. Where can I find this information on your web site?
A. The web site currently reflects four types of tax, or tax rolls: Current Year Secured, Current Year Secured Supplemental and Unsecured Supplemental, Prior Year and Unsecured. You should be able to find prior year delinquent tax information when you key in your parcel no. You may also key in your Tax Collector Reference No., Tax Year and Assessment, Lien No., Watercraft Registration or Aircraft Registration to find unsecured tax information.
Q. The total value shown for my property on your web page seems high. How can I get this reduced?
A. You should direct your questions concerning property valuation to the County Assessor's Office at (714) 834-2727 or go to www.oc.ca.gov/assessor.
Q. I have a question on the assessed value of my property and the exemptions I may be entitled to. Who do I call?
A. For general information on assessed values and exemptions, you may go to the Assessor Department website at www.oc.ca.gov/assessor, or you may call the Assessor at (714)834-2941. For specific information on exemptions, call: Homeowners' Exemptions at (714)834-3821, Veterans' Exemptions at (714)834-7689, Institutional Exemptions at (714)834-2779.
Q. Do you have pay by "e-check" on your web site?
A. No, we don't have "e-check" but you may pay online through your checking or savings account via ACH Debit. When you pay by ACH Debit, you authorize the County to automatically debit the amount you authorized to pay from your checking or savings account. To pay by ACH Debit, first retrieve your parcel number through our search page and navigate the website until you reach the page showing the property tax information and the amounts due. Click on the link to PAY ONLINE found next to the total amount due and payable. Follow the instructions until you get a payment confirmation number. Please remember to print this page or write down the payment confirmation number for reference. ACH Debit is also known as automatic debit, direct debit or electronic debit.
Q. Is there a fee for paying my property taxes online?
A. If you choose to pay your taxes online through your checking or savings account by ACH Debit, there is no fee charged. This is a service provided by your Treasurer-Tax Collector's Office. If you choose to pay by credit card, there is a 2.5% convenience fee charged in addition to the property tax amount you paid. This convenience fee is collected by the credit card associations, not the County of Orange.
Q. I paid my property taxes online but made a mistake while entering my ACH information. I only realized it after I hit the Submit button and got a payment confirmation number. How do I correct my ACH information after it has been submitted?
A. Once you realize that you mistyped any of the ACH information you submitted, it is important to update it right away with the correct information. Corrections can only be made on the same day the erroneous information was submitted. In other words, if you miskeyed your account number when you tried to pay online today, you may still change it by retrieving your parcel again from the search screen, and keying in the correct information when you get to the ACH screen. When you re-submit the transaction, the browser will return a confirmation page with the same confirmation number that you initially have. However, if you try to correct and submit your information the next day or thereafter, a new payment record will be generated and your payment may be duplicated. Important: Corrections can only be made on same-day transactions for payments made by ACH. Approved credit card transactions cannot be corrected by submitting a new one.
PLEASE NOTE: ACCORDING TO THE CALIFORNIA STATE CODE ON REVENUE AND TAXATION, FAILURE TO RECEIVE A TAX BILL DOES NOT RELIEVE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PAYMENT, NOR CONSTITUTE CAUSE FOR CANCELLATION OF PENALTY AND/OR COST CHARGES IF THE BILL BECOMES DELINQUENT.
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