How to pre-pay your Sacramento County property tax before the end of 2017

Some Sacramento homeowners may benefit by paying the second installment of their property taxes now, early, instead of waiting until April when payment becomes due. The Sacramento County Tax Collector's office suggested that people wanting to make an early payment should not mail payment, and instead visit their offices and make payment in person.

It is also easy to make a payment online if you want to save yourself the trouble driving downtown to H Street, paying to park, and waiting in line. There is a small convenience fee for using a credit or debit card. There is no fee for using an electronic check. The website to make an online Sacramento County property tax payment is https://eproptax.saccounty.net. Simply enter your address, then click the link on the left to "Pay Tax Bills Online." Then you will check the box next to the amount under "Installment 2". Then click "Pay Now".

The new "tax reform" bill, which was passed by congress and signed by the president last week, makes some key changes to the deductibility of property taxes. For those who itemize their tax deductions, in most cases property taxes used to be fully tax deductible, however under the new legislation there will be a $10,000 cap in the deductibility of state/local taxes and property tax combined.

My husband and I pre-paid our second installment of property taxes for our home using the free e-check option so we can deduct the full amount this year...our property taxes aren't all that high, but we definitely pay a lot of state income tax. In 2018, we will likely exceed the new $10,000 cap with state/local taxes and property tax combined.

Please be sure to consult with your CPA or other tax professional before paying early...