Shasta County Property Tax Guide for Homeowners and Sellers

Last updated November 13, 2026. Reviewed by the Cash Home Buyers CA team. Figures come from the Shasta County Treasurer-Tax Collector and the Assessor-Recorder; sources are listed at the end.

Shasta County mails one secured tax bill a year, split into a November installment and a February installment, and each is late if unpaid at 5 p.m. on December 10 or April 10. A late first installment costs 10 percent. A late second installment costs 10 percent plus a $10 charge. If you are selling, the taxes owed are paid from your proceeds at closing.

Shasta County property tax at a glance

Bills mailed	Once a year, by November 1. Call by November 10 if yours has not come
First installment	Due November 1, delinquent after 5 p.m. on December 10
Second installment	Due February 1, delinquent after 5 p.m. on April 10
Late penalty	First installment: 10%. Second installment: 10% plus a $10 cost
Tax-defaulted	Anything unpaid at 5 p.m. on June 30 becomes tax-defaulted
Tax sale	After five years of default the property is subject to the power to sell
Payment plan	Defaulted taxes under five years old: at least 20% down, five installments, 1.5% a month on the balance
Transfer tax when you sell	$0.55 per $500 of value, less liens that stay on the property

When are Shasta County property taxes due?

The bill arrives once, by November 1. The first half is due that day and goes delinquent if it has not reached the Tax Collector’s Office by 5 p.m. on December 10 or been postmarked by then. The second half is due February 1 and goes delinquent at 5 p.m. on April 10. You cannot pay the second installment before the first, but you can pay the whole bill with the first.

For the 2026-27 year that means Thursday, December 10, 2026, and, because April 10, 2027 is a Saturday, the second deadline lands on the next business day, Monday, April 12, 2027. Check your bill for the exact dates.

• Supplemental bills carry the same penalties and costs as the annual bill.
• A postmark counts only when the U.S. Postal Service applies it. Metered mail, pre-canceled stamps and permit imprints, which many bill-pay services use, are not postmarked by USPS, so a late arrival can still draw the penalty.
• Mail delays happen. The county suggests asking the post office to hand-cancel your envelope, or buying a Certificate of Mailing or a Postage Validated Imprint label as proof.

How do I look up or pay my Shasta County property tax bill?

The Tax Collector runs a View/Pay Property Taxes Online page where you can find your bill and pay it.

Online payments are by e-check or card, and the county publishes a fee schedule (a PDF dated February 7, 2026 at the time of writing) that lists the processing charges, so read it before you pick a method.

You can also pay in person at the Tax Collector’s Office or by mail, subject to the postmark rules above.

If a lender pays from impound, you may only see an informational copy of the bill. Confirm the lender’s payment posted, because the penalty falls on the property regardless of who was supposed to pay.

What happens if I don’t pay property taxes in Shasta County?

Penalties come first: 10 percent on a missed first installment, and 10 percent plus $10 on a missed second one. On a $2,000 second installment, the county’s own example puts the total added at $210. If any installment is still unpaid at 5 p.m. on June 30, the property becomes tax-defaulted and further penalties and fees accrue.

Default is published in a local newspaper for three consecutive weeks the following year. Then a five-year waiting period runs, with taxes, interest and penalties growing the whole time.

If the taxes remain unredeemed at the end of it, the Treasurer-Tax Collector records a Notice of Power to Sell against the property and it can go to public auction. Redemption means paying every defaulted tax in full before the auction. Partial payments do not stop a sale.

Owners who are not yet at the five-year mark can use an installment plan. The county requires an initial payment of at least 20 percent of what is owed, a start-up fee, and payment of all current-year taxes by April 10 each year.

The plan runs five installments, and interest builds at 1.5 percent a month on the unpaid balance. Property that has been in default more than five years is not eligible. The county does not state the fee amount on the page we reviewed, so ask the office for the current figure.

What is a supplemental tax bill in Shasta County?

The Assessor reappraises a property when ownership changes or new construction is completed, and the difference between the old and new value is billed separately as a supplemental bill. It arrives on top of the regular annual bill during the year rather than with the November mailing. The Tax Collector says supplemental bills carry the same 10 percent penalty and $10 second-installment cost as regular ones, so do not set one aside.

New owners and heirs often miss them because the annual bill is the one they are watching for. When you buy or inherit, ask the title company whether a reassessment is coming and plan for it.

Estimate your Shasta County transfer tax when you sell

The Recorder lists the documentary transfer tax at $0.55 for each $500 of the property’s value, excluding liens or encumbrances that remain of record. The calculator below applies that county rate. It assumes no city tax, since the county page does not list one; confirm with escrow.

How to sell a house in Shasta County when you owe property taxes

Yes, you can sell with back taxes owed. The taxes are a charge on the property, so escrow pays them from the proceeds and the buyer takes the house with a clean tax record.

1. Request the payoff. Ask the Tax Collector what redeeming the parcel would cost on your closing date, since defaulted amounts grow with time.
2. Compare the plan. If the house is less than five years in default, a 20 percent down installment plan may buy time, but interest keeps running.
3. Plan the closing. Escrow splits this year’s tax between you and the buyer, and the transfer tax is collected at recording. On a $400,000 sale the county rate is $440.
4. Beat the deadline. Close before December 10 or April 10 to avoid that installment’s penalty, or before any posted auction date.

A cash buyer has no financing to line up, so the closing date can be set to fit the tax calendar, and we buy houses in any condition. See our Shasta County cash home buyer page or ask for an offer.

Shasta County property tax FAQ

What are the penalty dates for Shasta County property taxes?

Taxes are delinquent at 5 p.m. on December 10 for the first installment and 5 p.m. on April 10 for the second. The first draws 10 percent, and the second draws 10 percent plus $10.

Can I pay both Shasta County installments at once?

Yes. The county allows the full year to be paid with the first installment, but the second cannot be paid before the first.

How long before Shasta County can sell a tax-defaulted house?

The county waits five years after default, then records a Notice of Power to Sell and the property can go to public auction. A partial payment does not stop a sale.

Does Shasta County offer a payment plan for back taxes?

Yes, for taxes in default less than five years. It needs at least 20 percent down, a start-up fee, five installments and current taxes paid by April 10, with 1.5 percent a month charged on the balance.

How do I sell a house in Shasta County with delinquent property taxes?

Get the payoff from the Tax Collector, give it to escrow, and the taxes are settled from your proceeds when the sale closes.

Sources

• Shasta County Tax Collector: Secured Taxes
• Shasta County Tax Collector: Tax-Defaulted Property and Power to Sell
• Shasta County Tax Collector: Defaulted Tax Installment Plan
• Shasta County Tax Collector: View/Pay Property Taxes Online
• Shasta County Tax Collector: Fee Schedule
• Shasta County Assessor-Recorder: Documentary Transfer Tax

This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Rates, fees and dates can change; confirm the amount on your own bill with the Shasta County Tax Collector.