Texas Property Tax Half-Payment Plan 2026: Pay Half by Nov. 30

Last updated: Oct. 29, 2026

If your Texas county tax office offers the half-payment (split-payment) plan, you must pay the first half of your 2026 property taxes by Monday, Nov. 30, 2026. You can then pay the second half by Wednesday, June 30, 2027, without penalty or interest. Bexar County and Tarrant County both list the option. Not every county offers it. If you miss Nov. 30, you can't use the plan this year, and the full bill is due by Monday, Feb. 1, 2027.

What is the Texas property tax half-payment plan?

Texas Tax Code §31.03 lets the governing body of a taxing unit that collects its own taxes adopt a split-payment option. Under the statute, a person who pays one-half of the taxes before Dec. 1 may pay the remaining half before July 1 of the following year without penalty or interest. The Texas Comptroller's payment options page describes it the same way: half by Nov. 30, the rest by June 30.

• Anyone can use it where it's offered. It is not limited to seniors or homesteads.
• Where a tax office adopts it, it applies to all the taxing units that office collects for.
• It's optional for each tax office, so check your statement or call your county tax assessor-collector before you count on it.

Which Texas counties offer the half-payment option?

Two large counties list it in their official 2026 materials:

• Tarrant County: the Tarrant County Tax Office important-dates page lists Nov. 30 as the last day to make the first payment on the half payment option, and June 30 as the last day for the second payment.
• Bexar County: the Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector's 2026 tax newsletter lists the half-payment plan with the first half due Nov. 30, 2026 and the second half due June 30, 2027.

Texas law requires your tax bill to explain the split-payment option if it's available to you (Tax Code §31.01(c)(8)). If your bill doesn't mention it, your tax office probably doesn't offer it.

What happens if I miss the Nov. 30 deadline?

If you don't pay the first half by Nov. 30, the split option doesn't apply, and the whole 2026 bill is due before the delinquency date. Texas taxes are delinquent if not paid before Feb. 1 (Tax Code §31.02). Jan. 31, 2027 is a Sunday, so the last day to pay is Monday, Feb. 1, 2027. Tarrant County notes that penalty starts at 6% and rises monthly, and interest accrues at 1% per month on unpaid taxes.

Not getting a bill doesn't change the due date. Under Tax Code §31.01(g), failure to send or receive a tax bill doesn't affect the due date or any penalty and interest. If you haven't seen your 2026 bill, look it up on your county tax office website.

Is the half-payment plan the same as the quarter-payment plan?

No. The quarter-payment plan under Tax Code §31.031 is only for a residence homestead owned by someone who is 65 or older or disabled with that exemption, or a qualifying disabled veteran or surviving spouse. According to the Comptroller, you pay four equal installments. When the delinquency date is Feb. 1, the first is due before Feb. 1 with written notice that you're using the plan, and the rest are due before April 1, June 1 and Aug. 1. Tarrant County lists its quarter-plan dates as Jan. 31, March 31, May 31 and July 31.

Seniors and disabled homeowners may also be able to defer homestead taxes under Tax Code §33.06. Interest on a deferral accrues at 5% a year.

Can I still lower my property taxes after I pay?

Paying your bill doesn't waive your right to protest next year's value. The 2026 protest window has closed for most homeowners, but you can start planning your 2027 protest now:

• Watch for your notice of appraised value in spring 2027 from your appraisal district (CAD).
• Know the deadline. The usual May 15 deadline falls on a Saturday in 2027, so the deadline is Monday, May 17, 2027, or 30 days after your notice is delivered, whichever is later.
• Check your exemptions now. Make sure your homestead, over-65, disability or disabled-veteran exemption is on file so it shows on your 2027 bill.
• Gather evidence. Sales of similar homes, photos of needed repairs and contractor estimates help at an informal review or Appraisal Review Board (ARB) hearing.

See our Bexar County property tax protest guide, our Tarrant County property tax protest guide and our 2026 Texas property tax bill tracker. You can file yourself, or protest with TaxDrop. Here's how a Texas property tax consultant works.

Sources: Texas Tax Code Chapter 31 (§§31.01, 31.02, 31.03, 31.031); Texas Comptroller, Payment Options; Tarrant County Tax Office, Important Dates; Bexar County 2026 Tax Newsletter; Texas Tax Code §§33.06 and 41.44.