Temporary Property Tax Relief
As part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many counties in Washington State have extended deadlines for payment of property taxes. For example, King, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Whatcom, and Pacific counties have extended the due date for the first half of property taxes for 2020 from April 30th to June 1st. However, not all counties have uniform extensions. For example, Spokane County has provided an extension to June 15th. Adams County, on the other hand, has a more complicated property tax collection system and still requires payment in full for the first half of annual taxes by April 30th. Pacific County, already cited above, has looked even further ahead, and has deferred the second annual property tax deadline from October 31st to November 30th.
In other words, the counties have responded in different ways to the effects of the pandemic. However, many of the extensions have some commonalities. Generally, the extensions are automatic, apply to all individual taxpayers who pay taxes directly to the county, and waive any interest or penalties for the duration of the extension period. Banks and other financial institutions that act as intermediaries paying property taxes on behalf of their lending customers, however, generally still must adhere to the original April 30th deadline.
It is critical for individuals to review the requirements of the relevant county where they are paying property taxes to make sure they do not miss important deadlines.