Filed under: State Local & Multistate Tax

The King County Treasurer’s Office has informed taxpayers that, despite extending the April 30th payment deadline for first-half 2020 property tax bills, it will not extend the October 31st payment deadline for second-half 2020 property tax bills. Instead, King County is offering payment plans to all delinquent taxpayers for the full 2020 tax year. If a payment plan is established before the end of November 2020, the taxpayer will avoid the 8% penalty that would otherwise be assessed on 2020 taxes unpaid as of December 1st.

How the Payment Plan Works

Payment plans for the 2020 tax year can extend payment for up to 18 months; a proposed payment plan must include payment of applicable interest and a $15 monthly service fee paid to the county’s third-party processor, Evergreen Notes Servicing (ENS). ENS typically charges a $75 setup fee; however, this fee will be waived for 2020 payment plans. A proposed payment plan should include an established monthly payment inclusive of the tax due, interest, and ENS fees (as well as penalties if the plan is not started by the end of November).

ENS holds the payments received from taxpayers and then turns full payment over to King County when the full amount is received. As a practical matter, if one or more monthly payments are not made on time but the full amount due is paid by the end of the payment plan, no additional late charges are added. Thus, taxpayers expecting to be able to pay the full 2020 tax bill within the next 18 months can avoid the 8% late payment penalty assessed on December 1st if they start a payment plan by November and pay ENS the full amount due by the end of the plan. Taxpayers that are not able to pay the full amount due by the end of the payment plan should contact the King County Treasurer’s Office to discuss their options, including the option to request a refund of any previous payments.

Taxpayers that pay the full amount due prior to the end of the plan may incur a minimal early payment fee. Property tax accounts appear as unpaid during the payment plan period until all payments are received by ENS and forwarded to King County. If a property is sold while a payment plan is in place, the taxpayer should contact the Treasurer’s Office to request a refund of the payments made prior to the sale.

Setting Up the Payment Plan

Taxpayers interested in establishing a payment plan may contact King County directly via email to paymentplans@kingcounty.gov or by phone at (206) 263-2890. If you have any questions regarding King County property taxes, please contact a member of the Clark Nuber state and local tax practice.

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