Northwest Iowa — If you own real estate in Iowa, a reminder — the hours are dwindling for you to make the second and final payment of your property taxes, also called real estate taxes, without penalty.
County treasurers in northwest Iowa are reminding you that the payment may be made without penalty on or before this Tuesday, March 31st.
If you own real estate, you are required to pay half a year’s taxes on that real estate every six months, or you can elect to pay the full year’s taxes in one payment. The first payment was due in the fall of the year, with the last payment due the following spring.
The final payment to be made on the taxes due in the 2025-26 period is now due if you haven’t already paid it. (The tax is actually on the 2024 calendar year.)
If you have a mortgage, your property taxes are probably paid by your lender through an escrow account.
If you’re paying your own taxes, they can be paid online, in person, or by mail. The treasurers’ offices advise you that if you want to pay your taxes online, the website to use is iowatreasurers.org.
Paying online requires the payment of a convenience fee. If you pay by credit card, the treasurer’s offices say that the fee is a percentage of your tax payment, plus a flat fee. But if you pay with an e-check, the entire fee is usually less than a dollar.
The county treasurers’ offices in the four-county area are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
If you’re going to pay your taxes in person at your county treasurer’s office, the treasurers want you to bring them the proper stub. If you’re mailing, the stub should be included in the envelope.
The paperwork you received last fall included two stubs, one for the fall payment and one for the spring payment.
If your county has a drop box, that doesn’t give you any extra time. If you use the dropbox, the payment still needs to be in the dropbox no later than 4:30 p.m. this Tuesday.
For more information, call your county treasurer’s property tax department.
KIWA Staff Photo
