Finance / Revenue Collections / Real Property FAQ

Yes, there is a 0.5% discount of the City Tax if the bill is paid by July 31.

The City does not enter into payment agreements for real estate taxes. The City accepts partial payments that will be credited to your tax bill, but your bill must be paid in full before December 31 of the year the bill was issued. If your bill is not paid in full, your property is at risk for inclusion in the tax sale in May of the following year. For more information on the City’s tax sale process, go to www.bidbaltimore.com and click on the “FAQ” button.

Yes. You can visit the State Department of Assessments and Taxation website for information regarding the appeal process at www.dat.state.md.us or contact them at 410-767-8250.

Send a written request to the Revenue Accounting Section, 200 Holliday Street, Room 3, Baltimore, MD 21202. Make sure to include on your request your account number, proof of payment, and if you prefer to receive a refund check or would like the funds transferred to another account. If you would like the funds transferred to another account, make sure to include the type of account and account number where the funds are to be directed.

You can begin by visiting the City's tax incentives page for a comprehensive listing of credits for which you may be eligible. Information and applications are on the website. You should also contact the State Department of Assessments and Taxation at 410.767.8250 or at http://www.dat.state.md.us/ to obtain applications of State credits for which you may be eligible.

The City does not offer any tax incentives specifically for first time home buyers but a comprehensive list of all City property tax credits can be found on the tax credit section A valuable resource for new buyers in Baltimore is the Live Baltimore Home Center located at 343 N. Charles with additional information available on their website at http://www.livebaltimore.com/home/

You can review your real property tax bill online by visiting http://cityservices.baltimorecity.gov/realproperty/default.aspx. Once you have entered either the block/lot, property address, or owner’s name you will be able to view your tax bill. If you are receiving the homestead tax credit, you will see both the “state assessment credit” and the “city assessment credit” located on the left side of your bill with amounts (credits) that have been deducted from your net tax amount. For any questions related to your real property tax bill, contact the City’s Collections Call Center at 410-396-3987.

The homestead tax credit program was designed to limit the amount of the annual increase in taxable assessments for eligible owner occupied properties. The program dates back to the late 1970’s, a period of rapid escalation in property values. State law requires each Maryland local government to establish a limit on how much owner occupied residential taxable assessments may increase each year. The program protects homeowners from increases in taxable assessment above the level established by local law, or 10%, if no local action is taken. In the early 1990’s, the City established the annual cap at 4% and it continues to be set at 4% today. The credit is applied against the taxes due on the portion of the reassessment exceeding the 4% homestead cap. The credit is applied directly to the property owner’s tax bill.

The Baltimore City Code, Article 13, Subtitle 5-4, requires that property with more than two (2) dwelling units or two (2) rooming units, or any combination thereof be licensed as a multiple family dwelling. The license is required even if one or more of the dwelling or rooming units are owner occupied. Single Family Dwellings are allowed up to two (2) roomers as long as a common entrance and cooking facilities are shared with the owner and you do NOT have to notify the registration office if this applies to you. You can contact the registration office by calling 410-396-3575 or you can get more information and registration forms by visiting www.baltimorehousing.org and select “property registration". Also, the owner must notify the State Department of Assessment and Taxation (SDAT) at 410-767-8250 about any change in their owner-occupancy status as it may affect their eligibility for the Homestead Tax Credit.

You should send a written request to the City’s Department of General Services Property Location Section, 200 Holliday Street Room 204, Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 410-576-8310. Be sure to include the address or block & lot of the property in question, new mailing address, the effective date, and the signature of the property owner. To contact the Property Location Section, you may call them at 410-396-3800.

Semi-annual billing is applicable to owner occupied principal residence properties only and allows you to pay your property taxes in two installments. The first installment is due in July and becomes delinquent in October. The second installment is billed December 1 and will become past due on January 1. A service fee will be added to the second installment bill. If you are eligible for semi-annual billing but are not receiving it, please contact the State Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) at 410.767.8258 to inquire if your billing status is set as a principal residence. You can also check your property on-line at http://sdatcert3.resiusa.org/rp_rewrite/ to see if your property is listed as a principal residence.

This is a personal decision. If you are unsure as to whether or not your mortgage company has set up an escrow account for your real estate taxes, you should call your mortgage company to confirm.