Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts

First half of 2021 property taxes due April 30, 2021

Monday, April 19, 2021

King County property owners who pay their property taxes themselves, rather than through a mortgage lender, have until Friday, April 30, 2021 to pay the first half of their 2021 bill. 

After that date, interest charges and penalties will be added to the tax bill.

While the first half payment deadline was extended in 2020 due to the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic, the second half deadline was not. Timely receipt of property tax payments is essential for the many jurisdictions that rely on these revenues to make debt service payments.

To make the payment process easier, King County provides several ways for property owners to pay their taxes quickly and conveniently. Payments can be made:
  • Online using King County's secure online eCommerce system at kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax. Taxpayers may pay with a credit card, debit card, or an electronic check. (A service fee applies to this option.)
  • By mail if postmarked no later than April 30, 2021. Taxpayers should write their property tax account number on their check or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail. Taxpayers do not need to include a tax statement with the payment as long as the property tax account number is on the check or money order and payment is for the exact amount due.
  • Customer service counters at King County facilities remain closed to in-person payments. However, taxpayers can use the specially-marked, secure dropbox located at the King Street Center, 201 S Jackson St in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood, to make payments by check or money order. Cash should not be left in the dropbox.

Payment Plan Program

To help taxpayers impacted by economic hardship, King County has a payment plan program available for real property homes, commercial businesses, land, and mobile homes. 

To participate, property owners must sign an agreement with King County Treasury. If participating owners also have a mortgage, they need to notify their lender about the payment plan. The program is administered through a third-party vendor and monthly payments are credited to the property tax account once the terms of the payment plan are met.

King County will waive the payment plan program's $75 setup fee, but participants will need to pay a monthly processing fee charged by the vendor. Those taking part in this program will also need to pay interest of 1% each month on the outstanding amount of their tax bill, as required by Washington state law. 

However, taxpayers enrolled in a 2021 payment plan before June 1 can avoid the 3% and 8% penalties applied in June and December, respectively. A payment plan for 2021 taxes can be made for a term of up to 18 months. 

For more information on the payment plan program, visit kingcounty.gov/PaymentPlans or email paymentplans@kingcounty.gov.

For questions about missing tax statements or other tax payment information, visit kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax, contact King County Treasury Operations at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2890.

Information on exemption and deferral programs for seniors, people with disabilities, or other qualifying conditions can be obtained from the King County Assessor's Office at TaxRelief.kingcounty.gov, by emailing exemptions.assessments@kingcounty.gov, or calling 206-296-3920.



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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: It's tax time

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

 


Previous cartoons by Whitney Potter here



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Assessor releases Taxpayer Transparency Tool for Shoreline Park Levy election - cost of proposed levy by household

Friday, April 9, 2021

King County Assessor John Wilson today released his April 2021 Taxpayer Transparency Tool, a website which provides each King County taxpayer an individualized accounting of where their property tax dollars go, and the estimated cost of any proposed property tax measure to be voted on. 

The only property tax measure on the April ballot is the parks levy in the city of Shoreline:
City of Shoreline: Proposition 1. General Obligation Bonds for Parks and Recreation Improvements

“Taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going, and what each proposed property tax levy will cost them,” said Wilson. “Property taxes keep going up. We need to make sure the public understands why.”

The tool can be found at http://localscape.spatialest.com/#kingcountyassessor/Tax.

There is a link to the tool on left side menu of the Assessor’s web page https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor.aspx

The Transparency Tool only shows the impact of property tax measures. Other ballot measures, including sales tax measures or benefit charges, are not included.

The Tax Transparency Tool was introduced by Assessor Wilson and first used during the April special election in 2018.

The Tax Transparency Tool was developed for the King County Assessor by Spatialest Inc, a unique enterprise software company focusing on Location, Value and Technology. The company also created “Localscape” for the King County Assessor in 2014, a map-based visualization tool that aggregates data to present information. (http://localscape.spatialest.com/#kingcountyassessor/).



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LFP Council holding Town Center and multifamily tax-exemption program Public Hearings February 25

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

LFP City Council to hold two public hearing at its Thursday council meeting

At its regular meeting on Thursday, February 25, 2021, the Lake Forest Park City Council is holding two public hearings as part of the Town Center Code and Design Guidelines update.

The meeting begins at 7:00pm and will be held virtually, via Zoom. Click here for the agenda and Zoom participation information. Public hearings are held at the beginning of the meeting, very close to the 7:00pm meeting start time.

The first public hearing is to consider proposed amendments to the Lake Forest Park Municipal Code (LFPMC) and Design Guidelines Pertaining to the Town Center Zone (Ord. 1217) and Related Regulations in the LFPMC for Development Agreements (Ord. 1218), Off-street Parking (Ord. 1219), Screening and Landscaping (Ord. 1220), and Multifamily Tax Exemption (Ord. 1221).

The second public hearing concerns a proposed designation of Residential Targeted Areas for a Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program (see Ord. 1221) within the City limits.

The Council has been working on the Town Center code and design guidelines update in response to the Sound Transit 3 project, and is approaching the end of the process, with a plan to approve the update before the current moratorium on Town Center development expires on March 31, 2021.

Under state law, cities are allowed to provide for exemptions from value-based property taxes, on the qualified multifamily housing developments in order to stimulate the construction of new, rehabilitated, or converted multifamily housing within “Residential Targeted Areas.” 

These are known as Multi-family Tax Exemption (MFTE) programs

As part of the Town Center code and design guidelines process, the Council is considering the adoption of such a program within the City, designating four areas as “Residential Targeted Areas”: Town Center, Southern Gateway—Corridor, RM-900 Residential Multifamily, and RM-1800 zones. 

Owners of property within areas designated as Residential Targeted Areas would be able to apply for the MFTE.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the public hearings and provide comments to the Council.

If you would like to sign up to speak at the meeting ahead of time or find out how to submit written comments for the public hearings, click here. There will also be an opportunity during the hearings for attendees to use the “raise a hand” feature in Zoom and get in the speakers’ queues for these hearings.


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Edward Jones webinar: Time for taxes - What's new and what to consider for 2021

Thursday, February 18, 2021


Edward Jones interactive webinar: Time for Taxes
Wednesday, February 24, 2021, 12pm PT


Tax season is upon us, and filing for 2020 may bring up a few additional questions from taxpayers. How does COVID-19 affect taxes? What if you were unemployed? Is there a deduction for working from home? Do you have to pay additional taxes if you received a stimulus check? What may taxes look like under a Biden administration?

In this webinar, Edward Jones Principal Jesse Hill and Senior Research Analyst Meagan Dow will be joined by Michael Tucker, vice president of Tax and Advisory Content for Surgent CPE, LLC, a division of Knowfully Learning Group, to help address the ins and outs of this particular season and help you feel confident as you make your plan.

You'll also have the opportunity to ask questions through the webinar's Q/A feature.

Webinar Panelists
  • Jesse Hill, Principal, Government and Regulatory Relations, Edward Jones
  • Meagan Dow, CFA, CFP, Senior Research Analyst, Edward Jones
  • Michael Tucker, Vice President, Tax and Advisory Content, Surgent CPE, LLC, a division of Knowfully Learning Group
  • Alex Reed, Moderator, Senior Reputation Management Specialist, Edward Jones
Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation. The content of the webinar should not be depended upon for other than broadly informational purposes.

--Suzan Shayler, Shoreline Edward Jones


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2021 property tax statements coming soon

Monday, February 15, 2021

Property tax statement

Property tax statements for 2021 will be mailed to King County taxpayers on or around February 15. If a mortgage lender pays your taxes, tax statement details are forwarded to them. 

If you pay your property taxes yourself and you have not received a statement by March 1, request a tax statement online at kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax, contact King County Treasury Operations at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov, or call 206-263-2890.

The first half of your 2021 property taxes are due by April 30. This deadline will not be extended, unlike in 2020 when a one-time extension was implemented due to the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic. The Pierce and Snohomish county treasurers are also maintaining this deadline in their jurisdictions.

To help taxpayers facing economic hardship, King County continues to offer a payment plan program first launched in 2020. This program is available for real property homes, commercial businesses, land, and mobile homes in King County. To participate, property owners must sign an agreement with King County Treasury. 

If participating owners also have a mortgage, they need to notify their lender about the payment plan agreement. The program is administered through a third-party vendor and monthly payments are credited to the property tax account once the terms of the payment plan are met.

For taxpayers participating in a 2021 payment plan, King County is currently waiving the $75 program setup fee for qualified taxpayers, but participants will need to pay a monthly processing fee charged by the vendor. 

Those taking part in the program will also need to pay interest of one percent (1%) each month on the outstanding amount of their tax bill, as required by Washington state law. However, the three percent (3%) penalty applied annually on June 1 for outstanding property taxes is waived for those enrolled in a payment plan. 

A payment plan for 2021 taxes can be made for a term of up to 18 months. For more information on the program, visit kingcounty.gov/PaymentPlans or email paymentplans@kingcounty.gov.

King County's in-person services are still suspended due to COVID-19, but the Treasury website at kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax lists other ways residents can access services. Taxpayers can also use that link to sign up for text and email reminders about their property taxes.

For information about property tax relief programs for seniors and people with disabilities, visit TaxRelief.kingcounty.gov, email Exemptions.Assessments@kingcounty.gov, or call 206-296-3920.



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United Way of King County to offer free tax preparation online to help struggling individuals and families keep more of what they earn

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

United Way of King County will offer virtual Free Tax Preparation services to low- and moderate-income, working families with the assistance of IRS-certified volunteers starting on Friday, February 12.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic social distancing guidelines, in-person tax preparation assistance will not be available this year.

Sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program will provide services in 20 languages with the help of more than 300 volunteers using the online platform GetYourRefund.org

The trained volunteers will help filers claim all the credits for which they are eligible, including the Earned Income Tax Credit, which is widely considered a powerful tool to help people get out of poverty.

According to the IRS, 20 percent of taxpayers fail to claim the EITC because they might not understand eligibility requirements.

Walter Washington, financial stability program manager at United Way of King County, said COVID-19 has made the need for taxpayers to claim those credits critical.

“The pandemic has put a financial strain on families. People are struggling to buy food and pay their rent,” Washington said. “There are a lot of tax credits for which lower-income people qualify, and we want to make sure they claim those credits and get their refunds as soon as possible.”

During the 2020 tax-filing season, United Way shifted from in-person to all-virtual services because of the pandemic and helped 11,000 clients secure $19 million in tax refunds. In Washington state, more than 400,000 eligible families received a total of $867 million in EITC — an average of $2,143 per filer.

To support economic relief from the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington said the U.S. Congress passed a new “lookback rule,” which means if a tax filer earned less in 2020, they can use either the 2019 or 2020 income on their taxes — whichever one gets them the most money back.

This year, United Way will have additional help for the program.

“We are proud to be partnering with AmeriCorps, VISTA’s and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members to help provide tax filing services this year,” Washington said.

United Way’s tax prep services will be offered until April 18th.

The Free Tax Prep Program is sponsored by the City of Seattle, Foster School of Business, Bank On Washington and the Financial Empowerment Network.



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AARP free tax assistance available

Thursday, February 4, 2021

AARP Foundation Tax-Aide will begin taking appointments for its free tax preparation and e-filing services, beginning February 1, 2021. Appointments will start Feb. 8, 2021

Due to the limitations of the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional face-to-face preparation with a Tax-Aide counselor is being replaced with Low-Contact and Contact-Free approaches.

Anyone wishing assistance with their tax preparation needs must first make an appointment. 

Call one of the following numbers and leave a message, A volunteer will call back to set up an appointment. Assistance may also be requested through the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide website www.aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or at 1-888-227-7669.

  • Northwest King County (Seattle north of the Ship Canal and Shoreline): 206-659-6821
  • Shoreline Lake Forest Park Senior Center TaxAide site: 425-610-8186
  • Northeast King County (Bellevue, Kirkland, Bothell, Kenmore, Redmond, Issaquah, North Bend): 1-888-227-7669

Tax preparation interaction with taxpayers will take place either in short meetings at some sites for scanning tax documents, or via telephone and video conferencing. The service will be offered through April 15 and is completely free. Tax-Aide is capable of processing most personal tax returns with some limited exceptions.



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Sound Transit hearing on proposed 2021 Budget and Property Tax Levy

Tuesday, November 10, 2020


Sound Transit will hold a virtual public hearing on Thursday, November 12, 2020 starting at 11am to receive public comment on Sound Transit's proposed 2021 Budget and a proposed action on the 2021 property tax levy of a statutory increase up to 1%. 

Each year, Sound Transit's Finance Department prepares a budget for the coming year. The proposed 2021 budget documents are available for review on their website at http://www.soundtransit.org/About-Sound-Transit/Accountability/Financial-documents.

Information on the proposed action regarding the 2021 property tax levy increase can be found at https://www.soundtransit.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021-budget-property-tax-hearing.pdf

Information about how to sign up for comment and how to join the meeting is available at https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/calendar/public-hearing-2021-property-tax-levy-proposed-2021-budget-2020.

In order to comment at the virtual public hearing, you will need to sign up in advance. The sign up window will be open from 8 a.m. on the day of the hearing until five minutes before the hearing's scheduled start time. Sign up requires your name and email address. Commenters will be called on by name in the order they signed up.

For more information on the public hearing or to request ADA accommodation, please call Sound Transit at (800) 201-4900 or (888) 713-6030 (TTY) or email accessibility@soundtransit.org. Translation assistance for limited English proficiency persons at 800-823-9230/TTY Relay: 711

Sound Transit is also accepting comments about the proposed 2021 budget via email at BudgetComments@soundtransit.org



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Second half of 2020 property taxes due November 2

Thursday, October 22, 2020

King County property owners who pay their property taxes themselves, rather than through a mortgage lender, have until Monday, November 2 to submit the second half of their 2020 property taxes. 

After that date, interest charges and penalties will be added to the tax bill.

To make the process easier, King County provides several options for quick and easy payment. Tax payments can be made:
  • Online using King County's convenient, secure ePayment Storefront at payment.kingcounty.gov. Taxpayers may pay accounts with a credit card or an electronic debit from a checking account. (Processing fees will apply.)
  • By mail if postmarked no later than November 2, 2020. Taxpayers should include their tax statement and write the property tax account number on their check or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail.
  • Via check or money order using the specially marked, secure dropbox at the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave. in Seattle. Do not deposit cash in the dropbox.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, in-person payments at the King County Treasury office and at Community Service Centers are still suspended until further notice.

Seniors, people with disabilities, or others with qualifying conditions who applied for a property tax exemption or deferral on or before October 19 and have still not received a determination from the King County Assessor may have until January 31, 2021 to pay the second half of their property taxes. 

Affected property taxpayers need to have opted in to the program to be eligible for an extension. For more details, visit kingcounty.gov/TaxReliefExtension, call 206-296-3920, or email exemptions.extension@kingcounty.gov.

For questions about missing tax statements or other tax payment information, visit kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax, contact King County Treasury Operations by email at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov, or contact a customer service specialist at 206-263-2890.

Information on exemption and deferral programs can be obtained from the King County Assessor's Office at kingcounty.gov/assessor, exemptions.assessments@kingcounty.gov, or 206-296-3920.




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Councilmember Dembowski: Important senior property tax exemption news

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

From King County Councilmember Rod Dembowski

Too many senior homeowners struggle to pay their property taxes.

That’s why for years I’ve advocated for a change in the state’s senior property tax exemption law to allow more seniors to qualify for relief.

Beginning this year, folks 61 years or older, who own their home, and have an annual income of $58,423 or less in King County, are now eligible for property tax relief. In previous years, the threshold was fixed at an annual household income of $40,000.

The obvious good news here is thousands more King County seniors are eligible for property tax relief.

Unfortunately, thousands of senior homeowners who applied for the program have waited months for a decision from the Assessor’s office. I have been hearing from these seniors, who fear that as we approach November 2, when the second half of property taxes are due, they will be forced to overpay their taxes this year, and wait for a possible reimbursement next year.

In response to these understandable concerns, I authored legislation, that passed the County Council on September 29, to allow individuals with pending applications to extend their property tax payments until January 31, 2021, without penalty or interest. Taxpayers seeking relief should not have to pay a bill that may well not be owed.

If you have applied for the program, but your application is still pending, and you do not pay property taxes through escrow, you are eligible for an extension. To obtain the extension, opt in here: https://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor/TaxReliefExtension.aspx

This is a “clean extension,” meaning you will not have to pay any fees or interest, while the Assessor’s office continues to process your application and you receive a final tax bill. More information can be found here: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/assessor/news-room/NewsReleases/2020/Sept-29-2020.aspx

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or my staff member, Elizabeth Evans at any time. Elizabeth can be reached at 206-477-0911 or Elizabeth.Evans@kingcounty.gov



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King county taxpayer transparency tool for November election

Sunday, October 18, 2020

King County Assessor John Wilson released his November 2020 Taxpayer Transparency Tool, a website which provides each King County taxpayer an individualized accounting of where their property tax dollars go, and the estimated cost of any proposed property tax measure to be voted on.

“Taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going, and what each proposed property tax levy will cost them,” said Wilson. “Property taxes keep going up. We need to make sure the public understands why.”

Residents in areas with property tax measures on the ballot will be able to see how those measures will affect them. The following property tax measures are currently before voters, and listed in the tax transparency

Countywide:

Proposition 1: Harborview Medical Center Health and Safety Improvement Bonds


The tool can be found at http://localscape.spatialest.com/#kingcountyassessor/Tax. There is a link to the tool on left side menu of the Assessor’s web page

The Transparency Tool only shows the impact of property tax measures. Other ballot measures, including sales tax measures or benefit charges, are not included.

The Tax Transparency Tool was introduced by Assessor Wilson and first used during the April special election in 2018.

The Tax Transparency Tool was developed for the King County Assessor by Spatialest Inc, a unique enterprise software company focusing on Location, Value and Technology. 

The company also created “Localscape” for the King County Assessor in 2014, a map-based visualization tool that aggregates data to present information. 



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Median property values rose slightly in West Shoreline; fell in Lake City

Thursday, October 15, 2020

The King County Assessor’s office has begun the annual process of mailing out re-valuation notices to taxpayers. Notices will be arriving in the West Shoreline and Lake City areas soon. Median values rose .8% in west Shoreline, and fell 2.5% in Lake City. 

Each year, County Assessors appraise every commercial and residential parcel in the state. These values – set effective as of January 1 by state law – are then applied to the next year’s tax bill. Property values are being set on January 1, 2020, for taxes due in 2021.

Data indicates that home sale prices and overall home values have been relatively flat in the aggregate compared to last year. As always, values vary from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood – some are up, and some are down. One significant factor in residential home values in King County is the increase in values in suburbs around Seattle, especially in the south end.

The Assessor has been monitoring the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While housing values have remained relatively steady so far, some commercial sectors have had their values severely impacted. These changes in value will be reflected in the 2021 assessed value for taxes payable in 2022.


 

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Shoreline taxpayers to receive re-valuation notices soon

The King County Assessor’s office is wrapping up the annual process of mailing out re-valuation notices to taxpayers. Notices will be arriving in the West Central Shoreline area soon. Median values rose 1.8% in that area of the county.

Each year, County Assessors appraise every commercial and residential parcel in the state. These values – set effective as of January 1 by state law – are then applied to the next year’s tax bill. Property values are being set on January 1, 2020, for taxes due in 2021.

Data indicates that home sale prices and overall home values have been relatively flat in the aggregate compared to last year. As always, values vary from city to city and neighborhood to neighborhood – some are up, and some are down. One significant factor in residential home values in King County is the increase in values in suburbs around Seattle, especially in the south end.

The Assessor has been monitoring the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While housing values have remained relatively steady so far, some commercial sectors have had their values severely impacted. These changes in value will be reflected in the 2021 assessed value for taxes payable in 2022.

“While home values did not rise significantly countywide, some areas, such as Auburn and Kent are seeing a lot of demand and therefore increases in median value, as more and more buyers are being priced out of Seattle and the eastside,” said Wilson.




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Senior and disabled property owners waiting on approval of tax deferral or exemption can opt for extension

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Seniors, people with disabilities, and others with qualifying conditions who applied for property tax exemptions or deferrals but are still waiting for a determination will be able to extend payments until January 31, 2021.

Affected property owners will be contacted, and will need to notify the Assessor's Office via the web at kingcounty.gov/taxreliefextension, call 206-296-3920 or email exemptions.extension@kingcounty.gov to opt in to this program.

The statutory deadline of November 2 remains in effect for all other property taxpayers. Seniors seeking property tax payment extensions must have mailed or filed an application on or before October 19.

In 2019, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Assessor John Wilson sought legislation, ultimately passed by the state legislature, to expand the qualifying income thresholds for the property tax exemption and deferral programs for low-income senior citizens, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, beginning with taxes levied for collection in 2020. It also lowered the disability rating necessary to qualify as a disabled veteran.

As a result, the King County Assessor's Office reported that applications for property tax exemptions increased by 400 percent this year.

This surge, combined with remote work requirements in the Assessor's Office due to COVID-19, staffing challenges, and computer software – managed by King County Information Technology – which proved insufficient to handle the volume of applications, created a backlog of 4,400 unprocessed applications.

Legislation sponsored by Councilmember Rod Dembowski, supported by King County Treasury and Assessor’s Office, and passed by the King County Council today, provides the Assessors Office more time to process applications. Treasury will be sending notices out this week with information.

"King County has led the way in seeking expanded property tax relief for modest income seniors and disabled veterans. But when seniors and veterans applied for this benefit, the process has been too challenging and taken far too long," said Councilmember Rod Dembowski. 
"I'm pleased that we are taking action today to extend deadlines and enhance staffing to get people the answers they deserve on their applications. Especially during this pandemic, King County must do everything we reasonably can do to ensure that seniors and veterans aren't living in fear of having to leave their homes because tax relief isn't promptly implemented."


To qualify for an exemption, property taxpayers need to meet the following criteria:

Age/Disability
  • Born in 1958 or earlier or
  • Disabled and unable to work in 2019 or earlier or
  • Retired because of disability or
  • Military veteran with a 80% service-connected disability or
  • Widow(er) or state-registered domestic partner of at least 57 years of age whose spouse or partner had an exemption at the time of death
Ownership/Occupancy
  • Own the residence as of December 31, 2019
  • Occupy the property as a primary residence at least nine months each year
Income
  • Annual household income earned in 2019 must not exceed $58,423, including Social Security and other sources

To qualify for a deferral, property taxpayers must be 60 years old or older, or retired because of physical disability. They must meet an equity requirement, live in the home at least nine months in a calendar year, and have an annual household income of $67,411 or less for the previous year. Deferred taxes plus accumulated interest become a lien on the property until the total amount is repaid.

For more information about property tax exemptions or deferrals, visit kingcounty.gov/assessor/seniors or call 206-263-2338.

For information about property taxes, contact King County Treasury at 206-263-2890, email propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov, or visit kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax



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Non-filers: Expect a letter about your stimulus check

Friday, September 25, 2020

By Lisa Lake 
Consumer Education Specialist, FTC

If you don’t usually file a tax return, or didn’t file a return for 2018 or 2019, you might not know you could qualify for an economic impact payment.

You might be one of the nine million people getting a letter from the IRS letting you know how to register on their website to claim your payment by October 15, 2020.

If you get this letter from the IRS, it’s legit. Go only to the IRS’s real website at IRS.gov/EIP, or call them directly at 800-919-9835 to register to claim your payment.

You only have until October 15. 

But if someone claiming to be from the IRS calls, emails, or texts about helping you get your stimulus payment, that person is running a government imposter scam on you. Hang up, and don’t respond to or click on any links in texts or emails.


Why? Because the IRS will not text, email, or call you about your economic impact payment. And they’ll never ask you to pay a fee to get your money.

Visit the IRS’s website to find out more about stimulus payments. And be sure to tell the FTC if someone pretending to be from the government contacts you.



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Second-half 2020 property taxes due November 2; deadline will not be extended

Sunday, September 20, 2020

King County property owners who pay their property taxes themselves, rather than through a mortgage lender, have until Monday, November 2 to pay the second half of their 2020 bill.

After that date, interest charges and penalties will be added to the tax bill. 

The Pierce and Snohomish county treasurers are also maintaining this deadline in their respective jurisdictions.

While the first half payment deadline was extended due to the then-emerging COVID-19 pandemic, an extension of the second half deadline could create substantial financial risk for many cities, counties, school districts, fire districts, hospital districts, and other special purpose districts. 

These jurisdictions rely heavily on the timely receipt of the year's second installment of property tax revenue to make December debt service payments.

To make the process easier, King County provides several ways for property owners to pay their taxes quickly and conveniently. Payments can be made:
  • Online using King County's convenient, secure online eCommerce system at kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax. Taxpayers may pay with a credit card, debit card, or an electronic check. (A service fee applies to this option.)
  • By mail if postmarked no later than November 2, 2020. Taxpayers should write their property tax account number on their check or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail. Taxpayers do not need to include a tax statement with the payment as long as the property tax account number is on the check or money order and payment is for the exact amount due.
  • Because of the continuing COVID-19 outbreak, customer service counters at King County facilities remain closed to in-person payments. However, taxpayers can use the specially-marked, secure dropbox located at the King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Ave. in downtown Seattle, to make payments by check or money order. Cash should not be left in the dropbox.

Payment plan

To help taxpayers impacted by COVID-19, King County initiated a payment plan program earlier this year. This program continues to be available for real property homes, commercial businesses, land, and mobile homes in King County. To participate, property owners must sign an agreement with King County Treasury. If participating owners also have a mortgage, they should notify their lender about the payment plan program. The program is administered through a third-party vendor and monthly payments are credited to the property tax account once the terms of the payment plan are met.

For those taxpayers participating in a 2020 payment plan, King County is currently waiving the program's $75 setup fee for qualified taxpayers, but participants will need to pay a monthly processing fee charged by the vendor. 

Those taking advantage of this program will also need to pay interest of 1% each month on the outstanding amount of their tax bill, as required by Washington state law. However, the statutory 8% penalty applied annually on December 1 for outstanding property taxes is waived for those enrolled in a payment plan. 

A payment plan for 2020 taxes may be for a term of up to 18 months. For more information on the payment plan program, please visit kingcounty.gov/PaymentPlans or email paymentplans@kingcounty.gov.

For questions about missing tax statements or other tax payment information, visit kingcounty.gov/PropertyTax, contact King County Treasury Operations at propertytax.customerservice@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-2890.

Information on senior citizen exemption and deferral programs can be obtained from the King County Assessor's Office at kingcounty.gov/assessor/seniors, by emailing exemptions.assessments@kingcounty.gov, or calling 206-296-3920.




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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: IRS Audit

Thursday, July 16, 2020



Tax deadline was July 15, 2020



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Cartoon by Whitney Potter: Tax day is July 15

Wednesday, July 15, 2020



The normal tax deadline was extended because of the pandemic.



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County Council approves payment plan for King County property taxes

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Categories for applying for reduced taxes
but in the meantime, the county will offer payment plans

More financial aid is coming to King County property taxpayers affected by COVID-19. On Tuesday, the Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved a new form of property tax relief, sponsored by King County Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn.

“I believe it’s an act of leadership for the County to shoulder a share the financial burden that many of its residents are struggling with during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Dunn said. “This is good policy that offers a little leniency to folks who are stretched thin and not able to pay their bills.”

Dunn’s legislation gives the King County Treasurer the task of designing and implementing a payment plan for 2020 property taxes. Once it’s in place, the Treasurer will reach out to those who are delinquent on the first half tax bill to offer a payment plan. 

The King County Treasurer will also look into the feasibility of covering the fees of third-party vendors that cover the cost of payment administration. The goal of the plan is to help property taxpayers who are suffering financial hardship specifically caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 30, King County extended the due date for the first half of 2020 property taxes from April 30 to June 1, 2020. Since then, economic activity in King County has plummeted and the unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 15.8%, according to the Employment Security Department’s April report. 

As of June 11, 46,000 people were delinquent on their 2020 property tax payments, which amounts to a 28% increase from 2019.



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