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Tax Bills

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1. Where can I find information on my 2021 Taxes?

Information on 2021 Personal Property Tax and 2021 Real Estate Tax Information can be found on the Treasurer’s Office webpage. You can also pay your taxes online from the Treasure’s Office webpage.

2. Where can I find my tax bill online?

Use our Tax Records Portal to search for your property by address, parcel tax key number or tax account ID. After finding your property, you can view the most recent tax billing and payment information. 

[Online Property Search >>]

3. When will I receive my tax bill?

Tax bills are mailed out on or before the 3rd Monday in December, usually by December 15th. The mailing of tax bills is for your convenience. According to Wisconsin Statutes, Section 74.09(6), failure to receive a bill does not exempt any property owner from paying penalties and interest in the event of late payment. [Tax bill dates page >>]

4. Are my taxes paid?

We process all payments as quickly as possible. When payment by mail or in our depository box is processed, we will return your receipted tax bill or a receipt in the stamped self-addressed envelope that you provide. You may also verify payment by checking the West Allis web site OnlineProperty Search site. Search for your address, tax key number or tax account ID, then select the Pay taxes option or button.The total payments and balance due will be displayed, with the date of the most recent data update. Our web site is updated nightly, but payments make take a few days to be applied to your account depending on how the payment was made. [Online Property Search site >>]

5. What type of payments do you accept for taxes?

Checks, cash and money orders are accepted at City Hall, 7525 West Greenfield Avenue, West Allis, WI 53214. Please add your phone number to checks so we may call if we have a question or issue with your payment. West Allis area Tri City National Banks will accept cash and check payments only through January 31st. Checks should be made out to “City of West Allis.” We cannot accept checks made out to City of Milwaukee. Credit card and e-check options are available, and there is more information in the FAQ about credit cards and checks in this list.

6. Do you accept credit cards and e-checks?

Allow 3 business days before a due date. Your payments are not recorded until the funds are credited. You may pay by credit card or e-check on our website Property Search. After searching for your address, select the option or button to pay taxes. Select the e-check or credit card option. You will need to enter the nine digit tax ID with the leading zeros to identify the property for a credit or debit card. You may also make a credit card tax payment by phone, (855)-288-0677. Fees to the processor of 2.5% apply for credit and debit cards. No fees are charged for e-checks. Online Property Search site>>]

7. I did not receive a tax bill, why not?

If you are a new owner, you may not have received a tax bill because our information is based on what Milwaukee County Register of Deeds sends to our Assessor’s office. We generally have all recorded changes from the County through October. To find out how much you owe – you may check our online Property Search site to look up owner information, contact the seller of the property to determine if they received the tax bill, or contact our office. [Online Property Search site >>]

8. Do you send my tax bill to the mortgage company?

No, we only send tax bills to the owner on record. We provide tax payment information to mortgage companies as requested, but no tax bills will be sent to them. You may view the current owner information on a parcel in our online property search. [Online Property Search site >>]

9. I moved into my home a few months ago. Am I responsible for the current property taxes?

The owner of the property is responsible for the taxes. If you purchased a home a few months ago and that property was in existence as of January 1st, you are responsible for the taxes for the full year. Please check your closing papers to find out how the taxes were handled. (Usually taxes are pro-rated at the time of closing. They may have been deducted from the sales price as a credit to you.)

10. My mortgage company made the escrow check payable to the City of West Allis and to me. Do you need my signature?

Yes, in order to process your payment the check must be endorsed by all payees. If more than one payee is listed, every payee listed must endorse the escrow check. Please avoid delays in processing and possible delinquency, by remembering to sign your check.

11. My check from escrow is more than my taxes, what do I do?

To receive an immediate refund, make your payment at one of the West Allis area Tri City National Bank locations. With proper identification, they will issue you a cashier’s check immediately. (You do not need to have a Tri City National Bank account.) If you make your tax payment at City Hall, the refund will be processed through our Finance department and a check will be issued in three to four weeks. Cash refunds of $25 or less may be given, subject to availability.

12. May I apply my escrow check to the first installment of my tax bill only and receive an overpayment refund, if the check is more than the first installment amount?

No. An escrow check must be applied in full to your tax bill. If the escrow check exceeds the full amount due, an overpayment refund will be issued.

13. Do you honor postmarks?

Yes, if all the following criteria are met: it is mailed to the City of West Allis in a properly addressed envelope, it is postmarked before midnight of the last date prescribed for making the payment with postage prepaid, and it is received by the proper official not more than 5 days after the prescribed date for making the payment. December 31st is not a due date and; therefore, to ensure a receipt dated in December, payments by mail must be received in our office on or before December 31st.

14. I paid my taxes with a personal check, when can I expect it to clear my bank?

We process payments as quickly as possible. Please allow one week for your check to clear your account. If more than one week has passed and your check has not cleared your account, please contact the Treasurer's office.

15. Did you receive my property tax payment from my mortgage company?

We process payments as quickly as possible. To verify if a payment has been received please check the City of West Allis online Property Search to look up your tax bill and payment information. The total payments, balance due and date of last payment are all shown. Our website payment information is updated nightly. [Online Property Search site >>]

16. My mortgage company said that a check was cut on a certain date, but my receipt says otherwise?

Some mortgage companies send escrow checks to a third party tax service before sending them to the City. We process checks as quickly as possible; generally the same day we receive them. Please call your mortgage company to verify timely payments. Your receipt will reflect the date that the payment was received by the Treasurer's Office, not the date on the check.

17. I would like to pay on the installment plan. What are the due dates?

The installment dates are: January 31st, March 31st, and May 31st. The amounts listed on your tax bill are the minimums due by those dates; you may pay more or earlier than the dates listed, but those minimums must be paid by those dates. Any payment not made by its due date will result in delinquency of the entire unpaid principal balance and forfeiture of the installment option. All delinquent tax will accumulate interest and penalty charges from February 1st at 1½ % per month, regardless of when it becomes delinquent. [Tax bill dates page >>]

18. Will I receive a reminder notice for the 2nd and 3rd installments?

No, reminder notices will not be sent by the Treasurer’s Office. Please mark reminders on your calendar at least a week before the due dates of January 31st, March 31st and May 31st.

19. If I pay on the installment plan, may I pay the first installment by January 31st and the remaining installments in May?

No, you must follow the installment amounts listed on your tax bill. The amounts listed are the minimums due by those dates, you may pay more or earlier than the dates listed, but those minimums must be paid by those dates. Any payment not made by its due date will result in delinquency of the entire unpaid principal balance and forfeiture of the installment option. All delinquent tax will accumulate interest and penalty charges from February 1st at 1½ % per month, regardless of when it becomes delinquent.

20. I have paid 90% of my tax bill before January 31st, and have a small balance remaining. When do I have to pay the balance?

If by January 31st, you have paid equal to or more than the total of your January and March installment, you do have the option of paying the remaining balance by May 31st.

21. I do not have the money to pay my taxes. What can I do?

If you cannot pay your tax bill in full it is best to pay as much as you can and as soon as you can. All delinquent tax accumulates interest and penalty charges from February 1st at 1½ % per month on the entire unpaid principal balance. Therefore, any payments made will help reduce the amount of interest and penalty accrued. We will only be able to accept payments through the last business day in July when all delinquent real estate taxes will be turned over to Milwaukee County for collection.

22. What is the first dollar credit?

Every taxable parcel in the state of Wisconsin qualifies for the First Dollar Credit provided that parcel contains a real property improvement. This includes business, commercial and private property. This credit should be automatically applied to all qualifying properties. If the property tax bill has an amount shown in the “Assessed Value Improvements” boxes, then that property should receive the credit. Unlike the Lottery and Gaming Credit, the property does not need to be the primary residence of the owner and an owner may receive the credit on more than one property. A personal property improvement is not a qualifier for this credit.

23. Where do I look on my tax bill to see if I received the lottery credit?

The middle section of your tax bill lists the Net Tax. The amount of your Lottery and Gaming credit is shown at the bottom of the Net Tax column. If no amount is shown, you did not receive the lottery credit.

24. I did not receive the lottery credit, why not?

Those who qualify are owners of a home in Wisconsin who use the home as their primary residence on January 1st (Certification Date) of the year in which property taxes are levied. Primary residence is defined as the home where an individual lives more than six months of the year. If you did not previously complete a Lottery and Gaming Credit Application or you do not qualify for the credit, no Lottery Credit was applied to your current property tax bill. If you are eligible for the Lottery Credit and did not receive it, please complete an application form, available from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue website. We must receive the completed form by January 31st in order to apply the credit to your current property tax bill. [WI Department of Revenue Lottery Credit forms >>]

25. How do I apply for the lottery credit?

If you are eligible for the Lottery Credit and did not receive it, please complete an application form, which is available on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue Lottery Credit website. Return the completed for to the City of West Allis Treasurer's Office, not the County Treasurer as directed on the Wisconsin Department of Revenue site. We must receive the completed form by January 31, 2017 in order to apply the credit to your 2016 property tax bill. [WI Department of Revenue Lottery Credit forms >>]

26. I live in a brand new home or condominium and did not receive a tax bill, why not?

The current tax bills are based on what is on the property as of January 1st. In many cases, on January 1st your property was land only and part of one large parcel. The builder may be responsible for payment depending upon your sales contract.

27. I have delinquent water bill charges on my tax bill; I paid these charges already so why are they on my tax bill?

If your payment was not received by the Finance department by November 15th, the delinquent water plus 10% penalty was placed on the tax roll. In this case, you are responsible to pay that amount to prevent your property tax bill from becoming delinquent. If you made the utility payment by November 15th, please call the Finance department at (414) 302-8245 to verify that your payment was received and applied as a credit to your account.