Erie County Real Property Tax Services sees surge in tax payments

Preponderance of mailed-in tax bills creates delay in processing; online payments also increased as far fewer residents paid in person

The Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services has seen a surge in 2021 tax payments as residents increasingly avoided paying in person in favor of paying online or, even more popular, mailing in their payment. Property taxes for City of Buffalo residents were due Tuesday, Feb. 16, and, when combined with other payments received from non-city property owners, resulted in a large influx of mail to the department even as online payments were up by almost 60% when compared to February 2020.

“Tax season is in full swing and our department is seeing a large increase in payments by mail, causing a delay in processing these payments,” said Director of Real Property Tax Services Scott A. Bylewski, Esq. “This has caused some concern among residents who are fearful that their account will incur penalties if it is not processed right away. Any payment received in full in the mail and postmarked on or before Feb. 16 will be treated as timely paid and will not be assessed any additional interest. In-person payment of tax bills decreased dramatically this year as people heeded COVID-19 precautions; so it is understandable that we saw an increase in usage of other payment methods. We are processing all payments, however they were received, as quickly as we can and will continue to do so.”

For more information on the Erie County Department of Real Property Tax Services, visit https://www2.erie.gov/ecrpts/.