Dallas County homeowners who are 65 or older can pay the 2026 property tax bill on their home in four pieces instead of one lump sum. The county tax office runs an installment plan for the elderly, and the schedule stretches the bill from the end of January to the end of July. Anyone who qualifies and follows the dates owes no penalty or interest along the way.
The first piece is the one with the hard date. The county’s property tax FAQ pamphlet says the plan starts with one-fourth of the balance paid by Jan. 31, with the rest spread across the spring and summer. For a homeowner on a fixed income, the open question is what it takes to get on the plan and keep the schedule.
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Four payments, four dates
Dallas County’s 2026 property tax FAQ pamphlet lists the program as the Over-65/Disabled/Disabled Veteran Installment Plan. Homestead owners in those groups can pay the tax on their home in four equal payments.
The first payment is one-fourth of the balance, due by Jan. 31. The remaining three are due on or before March 31, May 31 and July 31. The pamphlet lists the plan as carrying no penalty or interest, which is what separates it from an ordinary late payment.
Why Jan. 31 matters
Property tax statements in Dallas County are usually mailed in October, after the tax rates are set, and the pamphlet says the taxes are due upon receipt. Taxes do not become delinquent until after Jan. 31, which is why that date doubles as the first installment deadline.
State law requires penalty and interest on taxes paid after Jan. 31, the pamphlet says. The Dallas County tax office’s main property tax page shows what that costs. For the 2025 bills, it says payments not made by Jan. 31, 2026 accrue an additional 7% of the balance in penalty and interest. A homeowner who skips the first quarter payment and has not set up another arrangement is looking at the same kind of charge.
Who the plan is for
The county’s payment arrangements page says the four equal installments are open to qualified homeowners with an Over-65, Disabled or Disabled Veteran exemption. The key word is exemption. The plan is tied to the homestead exemption already on file for the home, not to age alone.
The Texas Comptroller’s exemptions page says a homeowner must be 65 or older to receive the over-65 exemption. It also covers disabled persons who meet the Social Security Disability Insurance definition of disability. Anyone 65 or older who has never filed for the exemption would need that in place first, through the appraisal district.
Getting the agreement signed
The pamphlet says homeowners must request an installment contract from the tax office and then provide the signed agreement. After the first payment, the office sends coupons for the remaining three payments.
The payment arrangements page tells homeowners to email the county’s Installment Specialist at [email protected], or to call the Customer Care Center at (214) 653-7811 for more information. The tax office is at 500 Elm Street, Suite 3300, Dallas, TX 75202, and the center is staffed Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The payment arrangements page says installments paid by the due date for that installment carry no penalty and interest. That makes the calendar the whole plan: four dates, each paid on time.
A different option: the tax deferral
The pamphlet describes a second route for homeowners with an Over 65 or Disabled exemption. They can file a deferral with the Dallas Central Appraisal District, which the pamphlet says protects the property from legal action for unpaid taxes. Under a deferral, penalty and interest build at only 5% per year with no collection fees.
The two are not the same. An installment plan finishes the bill by July with no added cost. A deferral postpones payment but keeps interest running, and the form is available on the appraisal district’s site under Forms. The pamphlet also notes that the exemption does not freeze the bill by itself, since the appraisal district still values the home at 100% of market value each year and taxes can rise if that value rises.
Has the Dallas County installment agreement been signed and the first quarter paid by Jan. 31?
A Dallas County homeowner with an over-65 or disabled exemption has to sign the installment agreement and pay a quarter of the bill by Jan. 31. Without the agreement and that first payment, the later March, May and July dates never take effect, and the full balance falls under the 7% penalty and interest that follows delinquency.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit lays out the 5 kinds of property-tax relief, the circuit-breaker credit that includes renters, and an application log and renewal calendar. Its Part 7, The Yearly Routine, is built around the repeat deadlines that come with each tax year.
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
