Finance

Qualifications For An Escaped Bill Payment Plan
Tax bills for prior year escaped assessments may be paid in installments over a four-year period, at your option, if all of the following qualifications are met:

1. The additional tax due is over $500;
2. You file a written request with the Tax Collector requesting installment payments before the due date or April 10, whichever is later, and
3. Payment of an installment plan initiation fee.
4. All other tax bills are paid on time.

How To Initiate An Escaped Bill Payment Plan

To enroll a secured escaped assessment tax on the Escaped Bill ​​Payment Plan, a written request must be filed before April 10th of the current fiscal year or by the last day of the month following the month in which the tax bill was mailed, whichever is later. If you have any questions regarding this Payment Plan, please call the Tax Collector's Office, Secured Property Tax Unit between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays at (916) 874-6622.  

To enroll an unsecured escaped business property or escaped vessel assessment tax bill on the Escaped Bill Payment Plan, a written request must be filed before August 31st of the current fiscal year, or by the last day of the month following the month in which the tax bill was mailed, whichever is later. If you have any questions regarding this payment plan, please call the Tax Collector's Office, Unsecured Property Tax Unit between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays at (916) 874-7833. 

If you elect to make installment payments, you must pay 20 percent of the amount due no later than the deadline for filing the written request and have all current and existing delinquent taxes paid in full. In each succeeding year, you must pay at least 20 percent of the original amount due before April 10 for secured taxes or August 31 for unsecured taxes, as well as pay all bills issued on the current roll by the installment due dates. 

Penalties
The 10% and redemption penalties do not apply on the installment plan if your payments are made on time. However, if the County Assessor determines that the escape or under-assessment was due, in whole or in part, to the error, omission, or fault of the assessee, then escaped assessment penalties at the rate of three-fourths of one percent per month (.0075), are calculated from the date of the deadline for filing the written request to the date the payment is made, shall be added to the outstanding balance. The additional three-fourths of one percent of penalties shall be applied to the remaining balance on the next business day after each payment. 

Default (Cancellation) of Escaped Bill Payment Plan
If any installment or any current year taxes are not paid by the due dates, the installment payment plan defaults and the remaining balance will then be due and payable. The bills shall be subject to all applicable penalties and the installment payment plan cannot be restarted. Any of the following conditions will default (cancel) an active Escaped Bill​ Payment Plan:

1. Succeeding installments not received by April 10 for secured taxes or August 31 for unsecured taxes each year.
2. Current year taxes not paid in full by April 10 for secured taxes or August 31 for unsecured taxes each year. This includes any tax bills issued in the final year of your payment plan.
3. Supplemental bills and other current escape bills not paid timely.
4. Change of ownership on the taxed property.

If you have any questions regarding the basis for the assessment, please contact the Assessor's Office at (916) 875-0700.

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Five Year Payment Plan

For prior year secured property tax delinquencies, a property owner may initiate an installment plan of redemption to redeem the property. Most prior year delinquent taxes may be eligible for a five year payment plan. This plan provides a means of paying secured property taxes that have been delinquent for one or more years, with payments being made in five or fewer installments in accordance with California Revenue and Taxation Code. While the installment plan is in good standing, the property may not be tax-defaulted subject to the power to sell, nor the right of redemption terminated.  

Initiation Deadline For A Five Year Payment Plan
An installment plan of redemption may be initiated on any tax-defaulted property anytime up to 5:00 p.m. on the last business day of June in the last year of default before being subject to sale. Refer to the explanation of Prior Year Taxes five or more and three or more years delinquent.

Note: Foreclosable bonds are not included in a payment plan of redemption.

How to Initiate a Five Year Payment Plan
To initiate a payment plan of redemption, you must

1. Sign a contract.
2. Pay a one time initiation fee.
3. Make the first payment of at least 20 percent of the total original delinquent amount due at the time the contract is initiated.
4. All other tax bills are paid on time.

Please call our Automated Information Line between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays at (916) 874-6622 and select option "0" to speak with a tax specialist and request a contract by mail. 

Five Year Payment Plan Due Dates and Amounts

• Subsequent installments must be paid by April 10th of each year. This includes any tax bills issued in the final year of your payment plan.

• All current year tax bills must be paid by April 10th of each year.

• Subsequent installment payments must be at least 20 percent of the original delinquent amount due plus all accrued penalty of 1.5 percent per month on the unpaid balance from the last payment date.

Because subsequent payments include penalties accrued since the last installment payment, it is necessary to calculate the installment amount due at ePropTax or contact the Secured Property Tax Information Unit between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays at (916) 874-6622 for the amount of each subsequent payment. 

Default (Cancellation) of Five Year Payment Plan
After the first payment, if either the required five year installment payment or the annual current year tax is not paid by April 10 in any tax year, the installment plan will default. 

After default, redemption penalties will be re-calculated from the original date of default as if no payment plan was initiated. This may result in a substantial increase in the amount of prior year delinquent taxes outstanding. After re-calculation of the redemption penalties, the payments received through the five year payment plan are deducted from the payoff amount. 

After the plan defaults, a new payment plan cannot be started until after July 1 of the following year. If the property will be tax-defaulted and subject to the Tax Collector's power to sell on July 1 after the plan is defaulted, a new payment plan may not be started. However, a complete redemption of the property may be made with credit given for the amount paid on the installment plan. 

Online Tax Bill Information and Payments
Prior year delinquent tax amounts and the status of a Five Year Payment Plan are available online. The Escaped Bill​ Payment Plan information is not available online. To look up a parcel using e-PropTax, Sacramento County's Online Property Tax Information, you will need the 14 digit Assessor's parcel number. If you do not have your 14-digit parcel number, you can look it up at the Assessor's Parcel Viewer.

If you have an active Five Year Payment Plan, you may calculate the next installment amount due or the payoff amount due using ePropTax and linking at the Prior Years are Delinquent Message on the Bill Summary screen. You may also pay your installment or pay in full the balance due via credit card or e-check.