He reminded property owners to visit sdttc.com to pay their bills before Dec. 10 or face a 10% penalty.

“San Diego County is now home to a record 1,001,029 parcels,” McAllister said. “Since the recession, we’ve seen the rate of building slow considerably, but last year, the county added 2,731 properties. That was enough to push us over the 1 million mark.”

Taxpayers across San Diego County owe nearly $3.5 billion for the first installments of the 2019-2020 property tax bills. So far, more than $2 billion has been paid, but $1.5 billion is left to be collected for the first installment.

“The best way to avoid late penalties is to go to our website now and pay property taxes,” said McAllister. “There’s no fee to use an e-check online, and you will get an immediate receipt that you wouldn’t receive paying by mail.”  

McAllister listed other reasons to pay property taxes online:

·        Our website is secure.

·        Paying online is better for the environment.

·        The payment system is fast and easy to use.

Online payments will be accepted until midnight on Dec. 10. Taxpayers should log on early and give themselves plenty of time to complete a payment before the automatic midnight cutoff. Mail payments must be postmarked Dec. 10 to be considered on time.

The property tax bills are expected to generate $6.9 billion by June 30, 2020. Property taxes fund schools, libraries and other services provided by local cities and the county. Click here to see how taxes are allocated.