When are Berks County property taxes due?
Berks County real estate tax bills are dated March 1. Pay by April 30 for a 2% discount; a 10% penalty is added after June 30. Payment options and deadlines.
By The Berks Beat staff · Published July 9, 2026 · Updated July 9, 2026 · Facts last verified July 9, 2026
Your Berks County real estate tax bill is dated March 1. Pay it by April 30 and you take a 2% discount; pay from May 1 through June 30 and you pay the full face amount; pay after June 30 and a 10% penalty is added. Bills still unpaid at the end of the year become delinquent and are handed to the county’s Tax Claim Bureau.
This guide covers the county real estate tax the Berks County Treasurer bills each spring. Your municipal (city, borough, or township) tax usually runs on the same calendar-year schedule. Your school district tax is a separate bill on a different schedule, covered near the end.
The three payment windows
The county tax bill gives you one amount with three ways to pay it, depending on when you pay:
| Pay during | You pay | Dates for 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Discount period | Face amount minus 2% | March 1 – April 30 |
| Face period | Full face amount | May 1 – June 30 |
| Penalty period | Face amount plus 10% | July 1 – December 31 |
A payment counts as on time by its postmark, so a bill dropped in the mail on April 30 still earns the discount. After December 31, the option to pay the county directly closes and the bill moves to collections.
What “delinquent” means
Any county or municipal real estate tax left unpaid on December 31 is turned over to the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau the following year. At that point you owe the tax, the 10% penalty, plus interest and added costs the bureau charges to recover it. Unpaid delinquent taxes can eventually put a property into a county tax sale. If your bill is already delinquent, you pay the Tax Claim Bureau, not the Treasurer, and not through the online current-year system.
How to pay your county tax
You have three options for a current-year bill.
- In person. Bring your bill to the Treasurer’s office at the Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the fastest way to get a same-day receipt.
- By mail. Send your payment stub and a check to the Treasurer at 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Mail early in each window; the postmark date, not the delivery date, decides which amount you owe. A mailed check has no processing fee.
- Online. Pay a current-year county or municipal bill at paytaxonline.countyofberks.com. The county is adding municipalities to this system over time, so check that yours is listed. A processing fee is added to online payments, and the card fee is shown on screen before you confirm. Delinquent taxes, school taxes, and per-capita taxes cannot be paid here.
Whichever way you pay, have your bill or parcel number ready. If you lost the bill, the Treasurer’s office can look up the amount by parcel number or property address, which you can find on the county parcel search.
The discount is the only way to lower the county bill
Paying by April 30 for the 2% discount is the one built-in way to reduce what you owe on the tax itself. There is no installment plan for the county tax; the three windows above are the options. The larger lever on your total bill is your assessed value, the number all three property taxes are calculated from. If yours is too high relative to what your home would sell for, you can appeal your assessment by August 1. That does not change a bill already issued, but it lowers future ones.
School taxes are a separate bill
The March-to-December schedule above is the county tax. Your school district bills its property tax separately, generally in the summer for the school year that starts July 1, through its own tax collector and on its own discount and penalty calendar. Paying your county bill does not pay your school bill. Check the school bill itself, or ask your district’s tax collector, for those dates. For how the county, municipal, and school taxes fit together, see how your property tax bill is split, and for how your rate compares to other towns, the rates-by-municipality table.
FAQ
What happens if I miss the April 30 discount in Berks County?
You lose the 2% discount and pay the full face amount from May 1 through June 30. The bill does not gain a penalty until after June 30, so missing the discount deadline is not the same as being late.
When do Berks County property taxes become delinquent?
A county or municipal real estate bill unpaid on December 31 becomes delinquent and is turned over to the Berks County Tax Claim Bureau the next year. From then on you owe the tax, the 10% penalty, and additional interest and costs, and you pay the Tax Claim Bureau at 610-478-6625 rather than the Treasurer.
Can I pay Berks County property taxes online?
Yes, for a current-year county or municipal bill, at paytaxonline.countyofberks.com. The county has been adding municipalities to the system, so confirm yours is included. A processing fee applies, and card fees appear before you confirm. Delinquent, school, and per-capita taxes are not payable there.
Where do I mail my Berks County tax payment?
Send it with your payment stub to the Treasurer, Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. The postmark date determines which payment window applies, so mail a few days before each deadline.
Are Berks County and school taxes due at the same time?
No. The county tax bill is dated March 1 with a discount through April 30. School district taxes are billed separately, usually in summer for the July-to-June school year, on the district’s own schedule. They are two bills with two deadlines.