If you’re a property owner in Guilford County, you either just got or will soon get a rather unpleasant piece of mail. In early to mid-July, the Guilford County Tax Department sends out Property Tax Notices – bills, in most cases – and if you’re smart you will pay it because not paying it will lead to fines and possibly, ultimately, foreclosure on your house, building or land.
This July, the Guilford County Tax Department is sending out nearly 230,000 property tax notices – alerting property owners of due dates, available payment options and a few ways to potentially save a little bit of money.
You’ll want to save every bit of tax money you can this year because next year the county will have a new quarter-cent tax hike on the ballot and they are really going to try hard to get it passed by voters even though the county’s voters have said no time and time again over a period of 17 years.
This month’s property tax notices come on the heels of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners’ adoption of the 2025-2026 budget, which kept the property tax rate unchanged at 73.05 cents per $100 of assessed property value.
While your 2025 bill should be the same or about the same as the bill you got last year, you should plan on seeing a big increase in next year’s tax bill based on the way things are shaping up financially for the county and also based on the history of the current Democratic-led board.
In the four years between 2020 and 2024, the Democratic majority Board of Commissioners increased the size of the county’s budget four times as much as the previous Republican board did in the eight years those Republican boards were in power.
In fact, the Republican boards lowered taxes during that eight-year stint from 2012 to 2020 – while the current board, in 2022, effectively gave county property owners the highest tax bill increase in the history of the county by not adjusting the tax rate after the 2022 revaluation that saw housing prices soar.
This year, the Guilford County Tax Department is offering a handful of reminders and tips to help residents make sense of the process and avoid penalties.
Anyone who pays their county property tax by Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, will get a 1 percent discount on the county portion of the bill.
That early payment discount doesn’t apply to municipal taxes – though some cities and towns offer their own discounts. The Tax Department encourages residents to check their bill or visit the website for more information.
Property taxes are officially due September 2, but the last day to pay without penalties is Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. After that date, interest starts accruing and enforced collections may begin.
The county’s preferred payment method is through the myGuilfordCounty online system – either at my.guilfordcountync.gov or by using the mobile app. Users can create an account or log in with their myNCDMV credentials, find their property info and pay.
The process is instant, and email confirmation is sent right away.
About 40 percent of Guilford County property owners have their taxes paid through a mortgage escrow. In those cases, the property owner will still receive a notice that’s not a bill – indicating the lender has requested the tax information.
Even so, the Tax Department stresses that state law holds the property owner responsible for ensuring the taxes are paid. Residents are urged to check the notice for accuracy and verify that the lender followed through with payment.
The county’s Tax Department is traditionally very effective when it comes to collecting property taxes. The collection rate is usually over 99 percent and the tax collectors will not hesitate to foreclose on property when the owners don’t pay up.
There are three tax relief programs available to eligible North Carolina homeowners: the Senior and Disabled Tax Relief Program – also known as the Homestead Exclusion – as well as the Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment Program and the Disabled Veteran Property Tax Exclusion.
Property owners who are seniors with low income, people with disabilities or disabled veterans – or their unmarried surviving spouses – may qualify. The programs apply to primary residences only.
Full details and applications are available at guilfordcountync.gov/taxrelief.
Property taxes account for about 64 percent of Guilford County’s revenue. Sales taxes bring in about 12 percent, followed by state and federal funding at 11 percent.
User charges, other miscellaneous sources and savings make up the rest.
More information about the county’s budget and how property tax money is spent is available at guilfordcountync.gov/budget.
If you have questions about your tax bill or payment options, the Tax Department can be reached by phone at 336-641-3363, by email at taxdir@guilfordcountync.gov or online at guilfordcountync.gov/tax.
Why you never, ever, really own your home.
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Democrats always increase the taxes we must pay, because they represent the interests of government and the Parasitic Sector.
Republicans generally moderate taxes, because they represent the interests of the people.
Not complicated.
Republicans run up deficits because they don’t care about the future. Same with cutting education, environmental support, research funding, public health, and of course the climate.
But you be you
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!!!!!
Sound familiar? And before anybody (Chris) says you have representation, my answer is we don’t have representation, we have wannabe politicians who occupy space and pay lip service (although we never hear them)
Patrick H, the so called politicians we have today treat the position as a lifelong job (with great benefits) of sucking off of the taxpayers teat. Some how we have to get term limits. If it’s imposed on the president, then it should be for all of them
And remember, you are paying NOT for the welfare of Greensboro, but for the raises the mayor and city council gave themselves and the incentives packages they gave to Boom and others who will leave the area as soon as those packages have been used up. Doesn`t that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside?!
Great article, Scott. You always do a great job presenting the truth.
Is this a Property Tax Hike or Sales Tax Hike? “You’ll want to save every bit of tax money you can this year because next year the county will have a new quarter-cent tax hike on the ballot and they are really going to try hard to get it passed by voters even though the county’s voters have said no time and time again over a period of 17 years.”
The Below needs to be Dealt with. This is Out of Control. Skip and all his Puppets need to go. This is a Major Problem effecting EVERY CITIZEN of Guilford County. Skip is in this for himself, has no interest in “the people”.
“In the four years between 2020 and 2024, the Democratic majority Board of Commissioners increased the size of the county’s budget four times as much as the previous Republican board did in the eight years those Republican boards were in power.
In fact, the Republican boards lowered taxes during that eight-year stint from 2012 to 2020 – while the current board, in 2022, effectively gave county property owners the highest tax bill increase in the history of the county by not adjusting the tax rate after the 2022 revaluation that saw housing prices soar.”
1% discount for paying four months early is hardly an incentive for doing so.
Put an end to property taxes. There are so many exemptions for those not required to pay property taxes: nonprofits, retirement facilities, country clubs, and too many to mention. And yet they receive the same level of government services that property taxpayers receive, maybe more, quicker, and better. If these entities are so special that they can skirt paying their fair share in property taxes, then extend that same benefit to ALL property owners not just the chosen ones. Raleigh legislators, find another way to pay for schools, county employees, and the rest of counties’ expenses. Time has come for true and real homeownership, not an arrangement whereby homeowners are paying taxes for those who don’t and get a free ride from others.
Guilford County taxes for Skip’s DEI hires, pet projects, bigger govt, and wasteful programs in general that foster votes for Democrats. Maybe voters will one day wake up before they are completely financially broke. I wonder who will then pay for all these cream puff vote buying programs. Those of you who can advise the answer, please respond so all can learn from you.