Rep. John Blust – and a lot of other people in Guilford County – have said recently that, with city and county taxes getting so high, it’s a good question whether you own your home or are merely renting it from the government. And it’s true that, if you don’t pay up, Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis and his department can ultimately take your house away.

That’s why two upcoming deadlines from the Guilford County Tax Department are important – and why ignoring them can get expensive quickly.

The first deadline comes fast.

Under North Carolina law, all persons and businesses in Guilford County are required to pay their local property taxes before midnight on January 5, 2026. That deadline applies to taxes on all real property and on all classes of personal property except vehicles licensed in North Carolina.

Guilford County makes it pretty easy to pay – although, as always, convenience comes with fees.

Property taxes can be paid in person at the Guilford County Tax Collection Center at 400 W. Market St. in Greensboro or at the Governmental Complex at 325 E. Russell Ave. in High Point.

Both locations also have 24/7 drop boxes for payments.

Taxpayers with questions can call 336-641-3363 and ask to speak with someone in the Tax Collections division.

Payments can also be mailed to the county’s bank processing facility at Guilford County Tax Department, P.O. Box 70939, Charlotte, NC 28272-0939. (Years ago, when the county first started having property owners mail their checks to Charlotte, taxpayers did a double take, however county tax officials say it’s more efficient given the current processing system.)

Online payments are available by eCheck or credit and debit card – American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa – through the county’s website or through the myGuilfordCounty app, which is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Taxes can also be paid over the phone by calling 336-203-7795.

Given the county’s high tax bills, think about how many reward points you’ll get if you pay by credit card.

However, there are processing fees attached to most of the non-cash options. Credit and debit card payments made online or by phone are charged a fee of 1.85 percent of the transaction amount plus $2. And eCheck payments are charged $1.25 plus a $2 transaction fee. In-person point-of-sale payments carry a higher processing fee of 2.35 percent.

Miss the January 5 deadline, and things escalate quickly. Payments not made by the close of business – or postmarked by that date – are subject to interest charges and “forcible collection methods,” including wage garnishment and/or attachment of bank accounts.  And all that comes before tax foreclosure enters the picture.

The second major tax deadline follows later in the month, but it catches even more people off guard.

By midnight on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, all people and businesses are required to list, for the purpose of taxation, any personal property owned on January 1, 2026. That requirement also applies to additions, improvements or deletions made to real property during 2025 – things like vinyl or aluminum siding, central heat or air conditioning, storage buildings, detached garages and swimming pools.

Personal property that must be listed includes boats and watercraft, mobile homes, unregistered motor vehicles, aircraft and property used in connection with a business.

Vehicles licensed annually in North Carolina aren’t listed because the property tax is paid when the license plate is acquired or renewed.

However, vehicles without a current North Carolina license plate, trailers registered on a multiyear basis, vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan and vehicles owned or leased by public service companies do have to be listed.

Listings can be submitted in person, by mail or electronically.

Individual and business listings can be filed through Guilford County’s online listing system, and downloadable forms are also available. If you don’t receive a personal property listing form by January 16, you’re expected to call the Tax Department and request one.

Deadlines matter here as well. Individual personal property listings submitted in person, electronically or postmarked after February 2, 2026, are subject to penalty.

Business personal property listings submitted after February 2 without an extension face penalties, and electronic business listings without an extension submitted after May 15 also trigger penalties.

Property that isn’t listed at all is subject to discovery and penalty.

And discovery for Guilford County isn’t hit or miss.

In recent years, Guilford County has greatly expanded its use of aerial imaging technology to identify unreported buildings and property improvements. A service used by the county flies over the entire county during winter months, when leaves are off the trees and features like rooftops, garages, sheds, pools and additions are easier to see. High-resolution images are then compared year-to-year using specialized software that flags changes suggesting new construction or improvements.

County officials say many of the discrepancies they find aren’t intentional – some property owners simply don’t realize that a shed, workshop or addition has to be reported.

Others, however, are making deliberate attempts to avoid higher tax bills.

Either way, the technology allows staff to spot changes quickly and follow up with verification and valuation.

The system doesn’t replace human judgment, county officials say, but it does make it much harder for changes to slip through unnoticed – especially as imagery is updated annually and integrated directly into the county’s property tax system.

That aggressive approach to discovery goes hand-in-hand with the Tax Department’s excellent reputation for collection. Guilford County routinely posts a tax collection rate of over 99 percent and frequently finishes in the top ten counties statewide in the percentage of taxes collected compared with those owed.

The message from the department has been consistent for years – the county expects to be paid, and it has the tools and the power to make that happen. Chavis has stated in the past that it is a matter of fundamental fairness. It’s not fair to those who do pay, he says, if someone avoids their obligation.

There’s still another Tax Department deadline worth noting. Applications for tax relief are due by June 1, 2026. Homeowners age 65 or older or who are totally and permanently disabled as of January 1, and whose income including Social Security does not exceed $38,800, may qualify. Honorably discharged veterans with 100 percent total and permanent disability may also qualify. Applications are available online and at the Tax Department.

Tax Department staff are available to assist residents at the Guilford County Independence Center, 400 W. Market St. in Greensboro, and at the Governmental Complex, 325 East Russell Avenue in High Point. Phone assistance is available at 336-641-3320 for individual personal property, 336-641-3345 for business personal property, 336-641-4814 for real property and 336-641-7911 for the High Point office.

With taxes rising and enforcement getting more sophisticated, these deadlines are things of the kind that no longer the kind you can safely forget.

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