Taxes

School District Telephone Contact Numbers

The following is the current contact phone number for each school district:

DistrictContact Number
Appoquinimink302-376-4126
Brandywine302-793-5000
Christina302-552-2600
Red Clay302-552-3700
Colonial302-323-2729
Smyrna302-653-8585


Questions about your tax bill?

Many questions you may have regarding your property tax bill can be answered by clicking here. It opens a sample tax bill with detailed explanations about various parts of the bill.  PLEASE NOTE: for best results, use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox.

If you have additional questions, our customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. by calling 302-395-5340.

Check Your Payment Status

Taxpayers can access their property tax information and payment status online. Property owners who misplace or who do not receive their bills can download a printable version via the site, which also provides detailed account information including payment history and a breakout of specific charges for property, school, light, and crossing guard taxes. If your tax bills are paid by a mortgage company or bank, you are still responsible to make sure the bill is paid.

Methods of Payment

  • Major credit cards are accepted through Paymentus, a third-party company that accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal, PayPal Credit, and electronic check. You can pay your property and school tax online by clicking here  Methods of Payment        Methods of Payment  Methods of Payment online , or by calling Paymentus toll-free at 877-225-7351. Paymentus charges users a service fee equal to 2.35% of the total payment when using a credit card. If you have any questions concerning making payments through Paymentus, please call their Customer Contact Center at 800-420-1663.
  • Walk-in payments are accepted at the New Castle County Government Center, located at 87 Reads Way in New Castle. Payments by cash, check, money order, and US or Visa debit card are accepted at this location. The payment window is open between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday; except on County recognized holidays.
  • A drop box is also available for making check and money order payments 24 hours a day at the main entrance of the New Castle County Government Center.
  •  If you lose or misplace the self-addressed envelope that was sent with the bills, you can mail your payment to:

    New Castle County
    P.O. Box 782888
    Philadelphia, PA  19178-2888


  • The address above is an electronic payment processor. DO NOT postdate your check, as it will not affect the processing date. Your check will be processed when received. Please sign your check as well. If you pay your bill through your online banking application, please be sure to update our mailing address.

Billing Schedule

Tax billing statements are normally mailed during the third week of July. If you do not receive your bill by the second week of August, call the New Castle County billing information line at 302-395-5340.

Both New Castle County and local school property taxes are due September 30 of each year. In any year in which September 30 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, taxes are due the next business day (Monday). Any balances that remain on accounts after the due date are subject to a 6% penalty on County line items, a 5% penalty on school line items, and a 1% penalty for all line items each month thereafter.

Take a look at important tax dates (PDF) for more information.

Pre-Payment of Property Taxes

In an effort to assist customers in reducing the amount owed at the time of their annual property and school tax bill, New Castle County allows you to pay on your parcel or account in advance.  Advance payments or pre-payments will be posted as a credit and applied to the next bill generated for your account.

The accepted method of payment for “Pre-Payments” include:

  • Monthly automatic payments (ACH) debited from your checking or savings account.  
    1. This option is managed through the New Castle County Office of Finance Treasury Unit. To learn more, please click here.
  • Using an online payment service provider, such as your banking institution.  
  • Checks or Money Orders mailed/delivered to NCC.

Pre-Payments mailed to NCC should be sent to the address below.  These payments should include the account or parcel number and be made payable to:

New Castle County

P.O. Box 782888

Philadelphia, PA 19178-2888

 

Click here to obtain a copy of a Pre-Payment Coupon. Please note: the coupon is fillable. For best results, print the completed coupon form double-sided.

To obtain your account or parcel number, or to review account information click here to use our website to search for your property.

Refund of Tax or Sewer Charges Paid in Error

If you believe you paid New Castle County property tax or sewer service fees in error, you can request a refund by completing this form (PDF). Download the form, complete it, save it to your computer, and then email it to:  [email protected]

Tax Rates

View the current residential and commercial tax rates (PDF).

Questions

If you have questions or need additional information, contact Treasury customer service at 302-395-5340 or via email. You can also check out our frequently asked questions.