Howard County, MD follows the Maryland statutory schedule. This page shows that schedule, the county's own website, and the late penalty — the county can still set its own dates, so confirm before you pay.
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…until second installment — January 1, 2027
Instalment
Due date
Notes
Second installment
January 1, 2027
Semiannual second coupon is due December 1 and stays interest-free through December 31.
First installment
October 1, 2027
Tax is due July 1 but may be paid without interest through September 30.
Statewide schedule — read this before you rely on it
Every county must offer the semiannual Sept 30 / Dec 31 schedule for owner-occupied homes and small business property, but tax-sale dates and interest rates are set locally, so collection calendars differ. Most counties in this state follow these dates.
Unpaid tax is in arrears after the interest-free date, draws county interest and penalty, and the lien can be sold at tax sale.
Counties issue bills after the July 1 assessment date, and a bill sent after September 1 gives the taxpayer 30 days to pay without interest.
Howard County at a glance
Population: 336,001 (Census estimate, 2023) — the 6th largest of 24 Maryland counties and county equivalents.
Typical tax bill: $6,650 a year (median for owner-occupied homes, ACS 2022 5-year estimate) — the Maryland median is $3,880.
Land area: 250.9 sq mi, about 1,338.9 people per sq mi.
On a $400,000 purchase in Howard County, MD, property tax comes to about $4,652 a year — roughly $388 a month — at this county's effective rate of 1.16%.
$
Effective rate 1.16% = this county's median owner-occupied tax bill ($6,650, ACS 2022 5-year estimate) divided by the typical home value at the time ($571,839, Zillow, 2022-12-31). Exemptions the seller holds — homestead, senior, veteran — usually do not transfer with the deed, so a new purchase can run above this figure. The county assessor sets the assessed value; this is an estimate, not a quote.
How to pay Howard County property tax
County website:www.howardcountymd.gov — start here for the treasurer or tax collector page.
By post: mail to the county treasurer; the postmark usually counts, not the arrival date.
In person: the treasurer's office, with your bill or parcel number.
Escrow: if your mortgage escrows taxes, the servicer pays — you still owe any shortfall.
Is this county verified?
Not yet. Howard County is on the queue: we publish a county's own published dates once they have been checked against the county website. Ask for it and it moves up. Until then, the Maryland statutory schedule above is the reliable starting point.
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CountyTaxDates is an independent reference and is not a government agency. Deadlines change and exceptions apply — always confirm with your county treasurer using the official link on this page. Nothing here is tax, legal or financial advice.