More than 52,000 unsecured property tax bills totaling over $302 million are due Monday in Orange County, Treasurer Shari Freidenrich announced Tuesday.
The fiscal year 2026-27 bills cover taxes and assessments on business property, leased equipment, boats and aircraft, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
Payments made after Aug. 31 will be subject to a 10% penalty and a $75 collection fee.
Taxpayers can pay online at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov, where electronic check payments carry no service fee. Credit card payments are subject to a 2.25% service fee.
Online payments submitted by midnight Monday will receive same-day credit, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
In-person payments by check, money order or cashier’s check will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday at the County Service Center, 601 N. Ross St. in Santa Ana. Payments can also be deposited by midnight in a 24-hour payment box on Ross Street.
“We highly encourage taxpayers to pay their unsecured property taxes online, securely and at no extra cost by eCheck,” Freidenrich said.
The treasurer said the office identified a large number of taxpayers last October whose mailed checks never reached the county.
“In a few cases their bank info was sold on the dark web,” Freidenrich said.
Taxpayers who mail payments must have them postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service no later than Aug. 31. Freidenrich’s office advised taxpayers mailing payments to request a hand cancellation at a postal counter.
Under state law, the person or entity that owned the property on Jan. 1 is responsible for the entire fiscal year’s unsecured property taxes even if the property was subsequently sold or transferred. A new owner does not become responsible for the taxes until the next lien date, Jan. 1, 2027.
Businesses that pay more than $50,000 annually are required to make payments electronically, according to the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office.
The 2026-27 unsecured property tax bills include new assessments for more than 41,000 businesses, nearly 13,000 boat and aircraft owners and 11,000 leased-equipment owners.
Business equipment, boats, aircraft and leased equipment valued at $10,000 or less are exempt from unsecured property taxes.
Tax bills and payment information are available at TaxBill.octreasurer.gov.