It’s now September, and if you’re in Clarke County, your tax bills are due in October, and those in Oconee County will have to pay theirs by November. But what do you do with your tax bills if you’ve bought or sold a house this year?
If you bought a house earlier this year and you financed that mortgage, the mortgage company will most likely cover the tax bill through your escrow account.
The way to know that for sure is to either contact your mortgage lender and ask them if they’re paying your tax bill. If they are, forward that bill to the mortgage company. If not, then you will, of course, need to pay that bill yourself.
You can also find out by looking at your mortgage statement. After looking at your mortgage statement, if you have an escrow account, you should see in your payment breakdown where a portion of it is going toward taxes and insurance.
Now, if you sold a home this year and you receive a tax bill for the home sold, forward that bill to the buyer; it’s now their responsibility. When you closed on that house earlier this year, the attorney prorated your tax bill, meaning you gave them credit for the amount of time you were in the house from January 1 through to the date of closing. Through that, you’ve technically already paid your share of taxes on that house. The bill will have your name on it, but it’s not yours to pay.
If you have any questions about your tax bill, feel free to reach out to us. We’ll be glad to steer you in the right direction.
