Should You Pay Your Bexar County Property Tax Before December 31?

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Jessica Gonzalez, CPA | Published October 25, 2026

Bexar County started mailing 2026 bills in October, and many are a little higher this year: the City of San Antonio raised its tax rate for the first time in 33 years. Below are the dates, the rule that decides whether December timing helps, and a calculator to check your own numbers.

When is the 2026 Bexar County property tax due?

The full 2026 bill is due January 31, 2027. Because January 31 falls on a Sunday, the Bexar County Tax Office extends the deadline to the next business day, Monday, February 1, 2027. Comal County bills follow the same January 31 rule; check your county’s calendar to confirm.

Add these and the other year-end tax deadlines to your calendar (.ics file for Google Calendar, Outlook or Apple Calendar).

Does paying in December lower your taxes?

Property tax is deductible in the year you pay it, as long as the tax has already been assessed. Your 2026 bill has been, so paying it by December 31 puts it on your 2026 return instead of your 2027 return.

A deduction only helps if you itemize. Texas has no state income tax, so your state and local tax deduction is property tax plus sales tax, capped at $40,400 for 2026 (lower at incomes above $505,000). That, plus mortgage interest and charitable gifts, has to beat the standard deduction:

• $32,200 if married filing jointly
• $24,150 for head of household
• $16,100 if single
• Plus $1,650 for each spouse 65 or older, or $2,050 if you’re single and 65 or older

December timing works best for homeowners who paid their 2025 bill in January 2026. Paying the 2026 bill in December puts two bills in one year, which can lift you over the standard deduction for 2026. You take the standard deduction in 2027, then repeat the cycle. In the Stone Oak example in my 2026 year-end tax planning checklist, that timing adds $4,500 of deductions over two years, about $990 of federal tax in the 22% bracket.

Can you prepay property taxes in Texas?

Not in the way people usually mean. Texas property taxes are billed in the fall for the current calendar year, so paying your 2026 bill in December isn’t paying in advance. You’re paying a bill you already have, a few weeks early.

What doesn’t work is sending money toward 2027 taxes before they’re assessed. That payment isn’t deductible for 2026. Bexar County’s pre-payment plans can help you budget for next year’s bill, but they aren’t a 2026 tax move.

How late can you pay property taxes in Texas?

Taxes not paid by the deadline start to accrue penalty and interest right away:

• First month late: a 6% penalty plus 1% interest, 7% in all.
• Each month after: the penalty and the interest each go up 1%.
• July 1: the penalty reaches 12%, with 6% interest, and a collection fee of up to 20% can be added.
• After that: interest keeps adding 1% a month until the bill is paid.

Even the first month’s 7% is more than December timing saves most households. Never hold a payment past the deadline to manage your deductions.

Using Bexar County’s half-payment plan?

The half-payment plan lets you pay half your bill by November 30 and the rest by June 30, without penalty or interest. Only what you actually pay by December 31 counts for 2026. If the numbers favor 2026, you can pay the second half in December too. If not, the plan spreads the deduction for you: half in 2026 and half in 2027.

If your mortgage company pays from escrow

Then the timing isn’t your call. The deduction follows the date your lender actually pays the tax office, which is often December or January. Your lender’s year-end escrow statement or Form 1098 shows what was paid during 2026. If the year matters to you, ask your lender in November when it plans to pay.

Over 65 or have a disability?

File for the over-65 or disability exemption with the Bexar Appraisal District first. It adds a $60,000 school-tax exemption on top of the $140,000 homestead exemption, plus a school-tax ceiling, which can shrink your bill enough to change the math. You also get the larger standard deduction listed above.

What else to time before December 31

Property tax is one piece of a bigger year-end decision. Charitable gifts, retirement contributions, required distributions and Roth conversions all have December 31 deadlines too. My 2026 year-end tax planning checklist covers them, with checklists for families, retirees, business owners, real estate agents and military families.

If you’d like me to run your numbers, a year-end planning session starts at $1,000 and includes a 2026 projection, one meeting and a written action list. Not sure yet? Start with a complimentary 15-minute fit call.

Sources

• Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, Tax Calendar
• Bexar County Tax Office, 2026 Newsletter: payment dates and penalty schedule
• Texas Comptroller, Common property tax bills, due dates and penalties
• Texas Comptroller, Property tax exemptions
• IRS, Topic 503: Deductible taxes
• IRS, Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 standard deduction
• IRS, Publication 505: state and local tax deduction cap
• Texas Scorecard, San Antonio property tax rate increase

Related: 2026 Year-End Tax Planning Checklist · Year-Round Tax Planning · Retirement Tax Planning