Q. When I receive my 2023 Coryell County tax bill, when is the last day that I can pay without penalty and interest?
January 31, 2024

Q. What is the Middle Trinity GWCD? This is a water conservation district that was on the ballot in November of 2009. If you need more information please click HERE!

Q. Where can I pay my property taxes?
You can pay by cash or check at any of our office locations throughout Coryell County. Payments by check only should be mailed to:
Justin K Carothers
P.O. Box 6
Gatesville, TX 76528

Please make your check payable to Justin K. Carothers, and if possible, enclose the copy of your tax statement with your payment.

Online and telephone property tax payments by credit card or e-check are also accepted.

Q. Why do I make checks payable to Justin K. Carothers?
The County Tax Assessor-Collector is an office created by the Texas Constitution. Under the Constitution’s provisions, the Assessor-Collector is personally liable for the funds collected and deposited in separate bank accounts under his control. The Assessor-Collector is relieved of this responsibility and liability when he deposits the funds with the County Treasurer.

Q. Can I pay my property taxes online?
Yes. The Tax Office accepts full or partial payment of property taxes online. Property taxpayers may also use any combination of credit cards and/order e-Checks for payment. We accept Discover, MasterCard, and Visa credit/debit card. A non-refundable convenience fee of 3% will be charged by Certified Payments. E-check fee is $1.50.

Q. Can I pay my current taxes before paying my delinquent taxes?
Yes. Please be sure to indicate on your check that the money is to be applied to your current year taxes.

Q. Can I make monthly payments on my current taxes?
Yes. We will be take payments early and apply them to the bills when they become due.

Q. Can I make monthly payments on my delinquent taxes?
Yes, but payment arrangements will have to be made.

Q. Why do I have to pay penalty and interest when I never received a bill?
As a property owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that you receive a bill and that it is paid on time. The statements are mailed and the taxes are due at the same time each year. If you have not received a bill by the middle of December, you should call and request that another one be mailed to you. You are also able to call and get an amount due over the phone as early as October or look up your account on the website. It is not necessary to have a statement to make payment as long as you have your account number and know the correct amount. You can either mail or take your payment to any Coryell County Tax office location.

Q. Can a refund be mailed directly to me?
If the refund is due to the granting of an exemption (i.e. homestead or disabled veteran), the refund check will be mailed directly to the name and address on the tax roll, if there is no name change on the account.

Q. The mortgage company paid my current taxes. I failed to claim the homestead. How do I get a refund?
First, apply to CCAD for the exemption. We will send an application for the homestead exemption, or you may obtain the form directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593. If there is no name change on the account, the refund will be issued automatically to the name and address on the tax roll. If there is a name change, our system will not automatically issue a refund. You must apply for the refund. You may download the refund request form from our website. The refund will be issued to the actual payer of the taxes.

Q. I received a bill for personal property taxes, but I do not own any real estate; I just lease it for my business. Why am I receiving a bill on property I do not own? Should the property owner be paying this?
All businesses are taxed on their personal property, such as furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, inventory and vehicles. Most likely, the bill that you received is for your business personal property and not for the real estate itself. The real estate is taxed separately and the tax statement sent to the property owner.

Q. How did you arrive at the appraised value of my property?
Placing a taxable value on real property and personal property is a function of the Coryell Central Appraisal District, not the Tax Office. Please call the Coryell Central Appraisal District (CCAD) at 254-865-6593, or go to their website at www.coryellcad.org.

Q. How can I protest my appraised value?
All protests must be directed to the Coryell Central Appraisal District. This office can send a protest form to you, or you may obtain the form directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593. The deadline for filing written protests for homestead properties is April 30th or 30 days after the date the appraisal district sends a notice of appraised value, whichever is later.

Q. The Coryell Central Appraisal District reduced my value. When will I receive another statement?
You will receive a new tax bill after this office receives the adjusted taxable value from CCAD.

Q. I own several adjoining lots and the homestead was assigned to the wrong lot. How do I get it corrected?
The Coryell Central Appraisal District will have to make the correction. You will receive a corrected statement after CCAD certifies the correction to the Coryell County Tax Office. The correction process may take several weeks, so do not wait to pay your tax bill!

Q. Can the delinquent tax attorneys sell my property for unpaid taxes?
It is possible that property can be sold for delinquent taxes. A lawsuit for tax lien foreclosure can be filed and a judgment subsequently granted by the court. The attorneys, with the approval of the Coryell County Tax Office, can then proceed with tax sale procedures.

Q. What is the procedure for purchasing property with delinquent taxes?
Property can be bought for delinquent taxes only after a lawsuit for tax lien foreclosure has been filed, and later a judgment has been granted by the court to sell the property. You will need to contact the law firm that administers delinquent tax sales on behalf of Coryell County. The law firm for Coryell County is MVBA Law and they can be reached at 1-800-336-4115.

Q. I received my tax statement and it does not show my exemption.
Perhaps you have not filed the proper affidavit with the appraisal district. You are entitled to a homestead exemption if you own your home on January 1 and it is your primary residence. You can claim only one homestead exemption as of January 1. In order to receive a homestead exemption, an affidavit must be filed with the Coryell Central Appraisal District. All exemptions, such as homestead, over 65, disabled persons, and disabled veterans require execution of an affidavit with the Coryell Central Appraisal District. If you so request, we will send the necessary form to you, or you can obtain them directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593.

Q. We are over 65 and pay no taxes. We received a statement showing a emergency service district tax. Why?
Emergency service districts were created by the state legislature and approved by the voters of the various districts. They have the legal authority to set a tax rate and may not allow exemptions. These exemptions are not mandatory, and they do not have to grant them. If no exemption is allowed, you are liable for the tax. There is a maximum allowable exemption, and if the value is higher than the ceiling, the value above the ceiling is taxable.

Q. I received a homestead exemption for the current year, but I sold the property. How can I correct this matter?
The exemption goes by its status as of January 1st of each year. If you purchased a new home you need to file for a homestead exemption on your new homestead property with the Coryell Central Appraisal District for the next January 1. You can download an application for a homestead exemption from our site, or you may obtain it directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593.

Q. I paid off my house and my mortgage company will not be paying my taxes this year. How do I make sure that I receive my tax statement? When are the statements mailed out and when are taxes due?
As long as a statement is not requested by a mortgage company, it is automatically mailed to the homeowner. The statements are mailed out by November of each year. If you have not received your statement by mid-December, it is your responsibility to notify us so that we can send out another statement. Taxes are due upon receipt, and should be paid no later than January 31st of the year following the year the tax statements are mailed.

Q. This is not my property. What shall I do with this statement?
If you know the name of the owner, please return the statement to this office with the name of the owner. If you do not know the name of the owner, return the statement with that notation.

Q. The name and address on this statement are incorrect. How can I get it changed?
The Coryell Central Appraisal District is responsible for determining each property owner’s name and address. We can send you a name and address correction form, and then you forward it to the Coryell Central Appraisal District. If it is more convenient, you can get the form directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593, or download the real property correction form or personal property correction form directly from our website.

Q. What is a tax account number and what do you mean by a “legal description”?
The tax account number is assigned by the Coryell Central Appraisal District and is used to help identify each piece of property. Normally, only one account number is assigned to each parcel. The legal description describes the property as a parcel in a larger tract (e.g., Lot 1, Block 2 in Meadow Subdivision), so it can be located on a map. If the legal description is wrong on your statement, this error should be directed to the Coryell County Appraisal District for proper handling. If you so request, we will send the necessary real property correction form or personal property correction form to you, or you may obtain them directly from CCAD by calling 254-865-6593.

Q. Can you send me a statement on my taxes for part of the year?
The Coryell County Tax Office does not prorate taxes; the tax bill must be paid in full.

Q. Why am I getting a delinquent tax bill on a parcel I just purchased?
The tax laws require this office to mail delinquent tax bills to the current owner of real estate, rather than to the previous owner. Because a tax lien exists against that parcel, it is in the current owner’s best interest to have knowledge of that lien. If a lawsuit were filed to foreclose the lien, the current owner (not the previous owner) risks losing the property to foreclosure.

Q. What is the rendition penalty?
Chapter 22, Texas Tax Code, requires owners of business personal property to file a rendition describing the property with the chief appraiser by April 15 of each year and also prescribes the penalty for failure to comply.

The rendition penalty is a penalty created by the Texas Legislature on those businesses failing to file their business personal property rendition, or filing their rendition late, to the Coryell Central Appraisal District (CCAD).

The rendition penalty is generally equal to 10% of the amount of property taxes ultimately imposed on the property.

Q. How do I pay the rendition penalty bill I have received?
The Coryell Central Appraisal District (CCAD) has contracted with the Coryell County Tax Office to collect rendition penalties. Such payments are accepted at any Tax Office location, online by e-Check or credit card, and by mail.

Q. How do I protest my penalty (or get a waiver)?
The Tax Office does not have the legal authority to waive or reduce the penalty. If you can provide evidence that you substantially complied with the rendition requirement or that your failure to comply was due to circumstances beyond your control, you can apply to the chief appraiser for a waiver. Lack of knowledge or forgetting the deadline will not be considered as a basis for a waiver.
Your application letter must be received by the appraisal district within 30 days of the date you received your bill. Send a cover letter, a detailed explanation of the reason(s) for your failure to timely file, and a completed rendition form (or supporting statement, if the penalty relates to a supporting statement).

If the chief appraiser fails to approve your request for waiver, you may protest the decision to the appraisal review board.

Q. What happens if I pay after the due date?
There is no additional penalty for late payment. However, collection action will be taken.

Q. If I do not pay, what happens?
You will be subject to civil action for collection in the courts.

Q. If I am a vendor, will I be prevented from getting County contracts until the bill is paid?
Yes, unpaid rendition penalty will be treated the same as unpaid property tax for purposes of determining compliance with the Coryell County vendors policy.

Q. I want to protest the rendition penalty or request a waiver. How do I do this?
Contact the Coryell Central Appraisal District at 254-865-6593.

Q. I filed all of my rendition paper work by the deadline. How do I get the penalty removed?
Contact the Coryell Central Appraisal District at 254-865-6593.

Q. Who does this money go to?
The penalty is divided 20% to the appraisal district and 80% to the various taxing jurisdictions.

Q. What do I do if one of my jurisdictions on my bill is wrong?
Contact the Coryell Central Appraisal District at 254-865-6593.

Q. Why are my taxes higher this year than in previous years?
Check your exemptions. If you were not granted the exemption allowed, contact CCAD. The appraised value may be greater than in the previous year. If so, you will receive an explanation from the Coryell Central Appraisal District for the increase. Also, the tax rate may have increased and if so, the amount of your tax could be more than the previous year. The breakdown of the tax rates of the various jurisdictions is shown on your tax statement.