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Here is some information about The Travis County Tax Office you may
find interesting.
Philosophy:
We pride ourselves in exceeding customer expectations. After all, no one likes paying taxes or fees for vehicle registration and titling, so the least we can do is make sure our service is courteous and efficient. If you would like to provide feedback about the performance of our office or staff, we welcome you to send an email to Tax_Office@co.travis.tx.us or ask for a feedback card at any of our offices.
Locations:
- Main Location: 5501 Airport Blvd., 78751-1410 (Located between Koenig Lane and 53rd and 1/2 Street. Drive through located at south side of building; 2 red payment drop boxes located in the parking lot.)
- Pflugerville Location: 15822 Foothill Farms Loop, 78660 (Located on the southwest corner of Foothill Farms Loop, the building is green and has a metal roof.)
- East Location: 4705 Heflin Lane, 78721 (Located near the intersection of Springdale Rd. and MLK Blvd.)
- Southwest Location: 8656 Highway 71 West, Building B, 2nd Floor, 78735 (approximately 1.5 miles west from the "Y" in Oak Hill, behind the fire department. Because this office is located on the 2nd floor, there is no drive through service available.)
- Southeast Location: 4011 McKinney Falls Parkway, 78744 (Located near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport between Burleson and Highway 183 South.)
- All of our offices (except for the one in Oak Hill on Highway 71) provide drive through service.
- For telephone assistance at
all tax office locations, call (512) 854-9473.
Hours: Our office hours at the main location on Airport Boulevard are from
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Satellite offices
are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday..
There are 14 Tax Office Specialists available 7:30 am - 5:30 pm Monday through Friday to provide phone service and help answer any questions you may have about any of the services our offices provide. If further research is required or a needed department is unavailable to assist you at the moment of your call, our representatives will write a detailed request on your behalf and you will be contacted directly by the appropriate department within no more than 3 business days.
Our Daily Operations:
Every day, we serve an average of 800 visitors
in our four lobby offices, 250 customers at our drive-throughs,
and answer 1,200 phone calls. We receive an average of 595 voter
registration applications and collect over $8.1 million in taxes
each day.
On an annual basis, we collect over $3.1 billion
in taxes and fees for 108 jurisdictions; register 783, 212 vehicles; complete 204,000 vehicle title transfers and audit another 132,000; we also register over 582,000 voters, support elections for 186 entities and collect court fees and fines for JP and County Courts at Law.
- Our office achieved a 98.9% collection rate for property taxes in 2010.
- We registered 96.5% of eligible Travis County residents to vote.
- 95% of our lobby customers are assisted within a target service range of between 3 - 5 minutes.
- We have been recognized for our customer service delivery by
the Texas Association of Counties and we are a designated benchmark
against which other operations measure their success.
Innovation and Recognition
- Accessible website developed for visually impaired citizens - 2007 recipient of Computerworld Laureate award
- Online services, such as property account and voter record access, online property tax payment options, electronic property tax payement plan arrangement and access to a multitude of forms used for property tax, vehicle and voter registration transactions.
- Benchmarked customer service delivery - 2007 and 2009 recipient of Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation Best Practices Award
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When?
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What?
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| Ongoing |
County Clerk records deeds and changes in ownership.
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| Ongoing |
County Clerk sends updated deed information to the Travis
Central Appraisal District (TCAD).
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| January 1 – April 15 |
TCAD identifies property and its location, description, ownership, exemptions and value for all real estate and personal property (business equipment and supplies) in Travis County.
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| April 15 - end of May |
TCAD sends appraisal notices listing ownership, value, etc. Property owners have a limited time (usually 30 days) to appeal property value.
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| Late spring and summer |
TCAD conducts hearings to resolve value protests.
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| July 25 |
TCAD sends the appraisal roll to the governing bodies of all taxing units, such as AISD, City of Austin, ACC and Travis County.
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| August/ September |
Governing bodies adopt budgets and a tax rate.
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| October |
With finalized appraisal roll and adopted tax rates, Tax Assessor-Collector applies the tax rate, calculates amount due and mails property tax bills for all properties in Travis County. There is one exception in mailing property tax bills. Those paid by mortgage companies are sent electronically. Owners may view a
copy of their tax bill online or request a copy by calling (512) 854-9473.
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| November - January 31 |
Current collections begin in late October or early November and end January 31. Tax Assessor-Collector mails receipts for taxes paid in full and disburses funds to taxing units. See various
payment options available.
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| January 31 |
Tax payment is due. Mailed payments must show a January 31 or earlier postmark to be considered timely upon receipt.
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| February 1 |
Delinquent collections begin.
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Our Volunteers:
Volunteer Deputy Registrars - Travis County's
voter registration rate is tremendously successful due to the
volunteer efforts of several hundred deputy registrars. Many, though not all, are
affiliated with various organizations that routinely promote voter
registration and voting.
Voters will typically find voter registration
applications on display in the lobbies of the Texas Department of
Human Services, Department of Health, public libraries, many grocery
and convenience stores, and post offices. You can view a list of all permanent locations that offer voter registration applications here. Additionally, new residents and those who update their driver's licenses are
given the opportunity to register to vote through our partnership with the Department of Public Safety.
You can also download a voter registration application form 24 hours a day by clicking here.
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Our Partnerships:
Substations - Twenty-four substations
in Travis County (located at HEB grocery stores and the City of
Jonestown) sell vehicle windshield stickers and offer voter registration
applications.
Vehicle Registration - County
residents are able to renew not-already-expired vehicle registrations on the internet at www.texas.gov .
20 Bonded Dealers and 4 Title Services
- Many of Travis County's vehicle title transactions are handled initially by
the private sector. When the legal documents required to change
ownership are part of a sales transaction, the dealership and the
customer enjoy convenience and efficiency. Also, the partnership
saves tens of thousands of dollars in salaries that would be
required to staff what would be a huge increase in title
transfer services.
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Our History:
The Travis County Tax Office was created in 1845
by the Texas Constitution. Tina Morton was named interim Travis County Tax Assessor/Collector through December 31, 2012 by the Commissioners' Court in late 2011. Morton has been in management at the Tax Office for more than 20 years. Prior to Morton's interim assignment, Nelda Wells Spears was the most recent Tax
Assessor/Collector until her retirement on December 31, 2011. She served Travis County in this office
for over twenty years. In January 2013 a new Tax Assessor-Collector will begin serving a four year term in office based on results of the November 2012 local elections. Back to top
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