Guilford County property tax bills were already plenty high five years ago; however, over the last five years, the 7-to-2 democratic-majority Guilford County Board of Commissioners led by Chairman of the Board Skip Alston has been spending taxpayer money at record rates – and property tax bills are now a whole lot higher than they were before, and all signs point to much higher property tax bills on the way in 2026.

There’s not a lot you can do about death or taxes but the county does, out of the goodness of its heart, offer one way to save a measly 1 percent off your county property tax bill.

Pay it early.  But if you want to use this method, you need to act fast.

If you pay your 2025 bill  by Tuesday, Sept 2, , you’ll get a whopping 1 percent discount for early payment. Taxes are technically due on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025, but the last day to pay without penalties is Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.

That 1 percent discount is for county property taxes only – not for municipal property taxes. (Though some municipalities do offer a discount for early payment.)

Failure to pay property tax by Monday, January 5, 2026, will result, according to tax officials, “in interest beginning to accrue on the account and enforced collections may begin.”

Property tax is by far the number one revenue generator for Guilford County government, and citizens in the county keep voting down a sales tax increase – but will be asked to pass it AGAIN next year in the fall.

The Guilford County Tax Department conducted a revaluation of all the property in Guilford County in 2022 at a time when housing values were skyrocketing; and that caused the property tax bills of some homeowners and business owners to go up by 25 percent, 30 percent, or more.

The Democratic-led Board of Commissioners failed to adjust the tax rate to the revenue-neutral level after the 2022 revaluation because not doing so meant a huge annual revenue increase of about $92 million a year for them.

Instead, they left the tax rate exactly where it was, and they proudly exclaimed “Look, no tax rate increase!” – all while county taxpayers got a “hidden” 14-cent property tax increase per $100 of assessed value. That “hidden” increase is thought to be the largest tax increase in the history of Guilford County.

You absolutely have to pay your property taxes: The Guilford County Tax Department knows where you live, and, if you don’t pay, the department will eventually come and take your house away and sell it to the highest bidder at a government auction.

There are a few options for saving money in addition to paying early.

Here are some other ways you can save:

If you don’t pay by August 31, do pay the bill by the end of the year. If you don’t pay by early January of 2026, interest and late fees will begin to accrue on the account.

Also, enforced collections might start. Pay before the end of the year so you don’t cut it close and you can account for unforeseen delays.

Pay with a check. You can drop your payment into a box in front of the Tax Department offices in Greensboro and High Point or mail it in to the processing center in Charlotte. If you use the web service, mobile service or phone app to pay, it will result in a 1.85 percent charge on the transaction amount as well as a $2 transaction fee. (On a $4000 tax bill that comes to just over $75)

Paying with a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card can result in additional fees.

If you feel your property values are assessed too high, appeal your property valuation to the Guilford County Board of Equalization and Review. It’s too late to do so for this year however going forward, especially with some very scary county 2026 revaluation assessments coming out at the start of 2026, you may want to challenge the assessed value of your property.

Guilford County’s Tax Department does the best it can when it comes to assigning values to property; however, the department does an assessment, not an actual appraisal. Tax officials perhaps drive by the property and take a quick look at it from the outside and they review the number of bedrooms, amount of square footage etc., and they look at actual comparable home sales in your area to make a judgment.  These valuations sometimes miss the mark entirely, and, if you believe your house or your business building – or even your car or boat for that matter – is overvalued by the Tax Department – collect all of your evidence together and file an appeal to the county board of citizens that’s set up to review and rule on these types of matters.

Take advantage of programs for people who are senior citizens. If you’re 65 and older, you might be eligible for a discount. Homeowners 65 years of age or older – or those who are 100 percent totally and permanently disabled – can get a $25,000 reduction or up to 50 percent reduction in the value of their primary residence, whichever is greater. For that program, the owners must meet certain income and ownership requirements.

Also, married couples can qualify even if only one partner is 65 or over or disabled. This tax relief program doesn’t require that the discount ever be paid back.

Pay only a percentage of your income. Seniors and those who are disabled and who’ve owned and occupied their primary residence for more than five years may choose a program that ensures their property tax bill won’t be more than 4 percent to 5 percent of their income. Homeowners might have to pay some of this tax relief back –for instance, if they move or sell their home.

Also, this method creates a lien on your primary residence.

Get a veteran’s discount. Veterans with a 100 percent total and permanent service-connected disability, as well as their unmarried surviving spouse, can get a $45,000 reduction on the property value of their primary residence – no matter what their yearly income amounts to. This tax relief doesn’t need to be paid back, and the veteran and/or surviving spouse who’s applying must have his or her name on the deed. If two veterans live in the home, only one $45,000 reduction is allowed.

Apply for an exclusion. When it comes to business property, you’re allowed to exclude some unusual categories of property from taxation, including imported property being held at a seaport, special nuclear materials, advances on farm products by US Government agencies, and other very specialized items.

Check out your city’s property tax programs. Those who live in cities and towns don’t just pay county taxes – they pay city or town taxes as well. Check to see if your municipality has a relief program.

Throw yourself at the mercy of the Guilford County Tax Department. If you simply can’t pay your bill in full, call the department and see if they can work with you by setting you up on a payment plan or by finding legal discounts that can help you out. In a worst-case scenario, if you’re working with the department, you may be able to keep interest and late fees to a minimum. If you just ignore your tax bill and hide from the tax collectors, you may end up losing your home to the government.

Two years ago, nearly 7000 households in Guilford County took advantage of programs that reduced their bills.

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