Frequently Asked Questions

Q.      What do I do if I don’t receive a statement?

A.      Taxes are always due on or before January 31^st, if certified timely.

Taxes become delinquent on February 1^st; therefore never wait for a tax bill to pay taxes.  Section 31.01, Texas Tax Code states that failure to receive a tax bill is not grounds for waiver or penalty and interest and will not affect validity of the due date.  Should the last day of the month fall on a weekend or holiday, payments will be accepted the next business day.

Tax bills are usually mailed the same time each year.  If you have not received a tax bill by December, you can print a bill from the website, https://www.springbranchisd.com/about/departments/finance/tax-office/tax-records or call the tax office, 713-251-7960.

Q.      Why am I receiving a Spring Branch ISD tax bill and a Harris County tax bill?

A.      Spring Branch ISD is a separate taxing entity from the Harris County Tax Office. 

The two taxing entities have the same account number because this is your property account number assigned by Harris County Appraisal District.  This is how the property is identified.  The Harris County Tax Office collects for the County, City of Houston, County Flood Control District, County Hospital District, County Dept. of Education, Port of Houston Authority, and Houston Community College System.  Spring Branch ISD collects for the school district, cities of Bunker Hill Village, Hedwig Village, Hilshire Village, Hunters Creek Village, Piney Point Village, Spring Valley Village, and Memorial Villages Water Authority.

Q.      I was told when I turn 65, I do not have to pay school district taxes.  Is this true?

A.      No, this is not true. 

When you turn 65 you receive an additional exemption that helps lower and freezes the amount of tax you pay.  It does not eliminate the tax.

In some cases, if the exemption amount is greater than the property value, there may not be a tax for that tax year.

Q.      Can I make partial payments on my school district taxes?

A.      Once you receive your tax statement, you can make partial payments on the current taxes up until January 31^st. 

The balance will be due by January 31^st unless you are eligible to pay quartered amounts.

Quartered payment plans are available for taxpayers with an over 65 or disability exemption on their homestead.  Payments may be made in four equal installments and are due as follows:

                1^st payment due by January 31^st

                2^nd payment due by March 31^st

                3^rd payment due by May 31^st

                4^th payment due by July 31^st

As long as payments are paid on time, no fees or penalties will be added to the balance due.

Q.      How can I change the address or owner name on my property?

A.      Tax offices are required to mail tax bills to the “address of record” maintained by the property’s county appraisal office.

If you are the new owner of a property, or there is an ownership error including misspellings, or you need to change a mailing address, you must contact the Harris Central Appraisal District.

Harris Central Appraisal District is the only authority to change property tax records, not individual tax offices.  The tax office cannot add, remove or correct owners or mailing addresses without a certified tax roll from the appraisal district.  The tax office receives tax rolls at the end of each month.

If taxes are due, do not wait for an ownership change to pay.  Taxes will need to be paid on time to avoid penalties and interest.  Taxes are due on or before January 31^st, if certified timely, regardless of the name on the bill.

Q.      I have a mortgage on my property and that company pays my taxes.  What do I need to do?

A.      Mortgage companies are required to request the tax bill(s) annually, even if they have requested them in the past.

If the mortgage company requests the tax bill, the tax bill will be sent to the mortgage company and not to the property owner.  If the mortgage company did not request the bill by September 30^th, the tax bill will be mailed to the property owner.  If you have received a tax bill that is to be paid by the mortgage company, it is your responsibility to contact your mortgage company and to ensure payment is made timely