Press Releases

SACRAMENTO — State Controller Betty T. Yee today reminded California homeowners in counties recently affected by wildfires and flooding that the deadline to apply for the Property Tax Postponement (PTP) Program for the 2018-19 tax year is June 1, 2019. California’s PTP Program, administered by the State Controller’s Office, allows homeowners who are at least 62 years of age, or blind, or have a disability and who meet income, equity, and other requirements to postpone payment of property taxes on their primary residence. 

Residents of 22 counties in governor-declared disaster areas affected by recent wildfires and flooding have an extended deadline of June 1, 2019, to file for PTP. Residents in the following counties may qualify: Amador, Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Kern, Lake, Los Angeles, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Napa, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Shasta, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Ventura. The deadline for all other counties was February 10. 

In the 2017-2018 tax year, California homeowners were able to postpone nearly $2.9 million in residential property taxes.

Funding for PTP is limited, and applications are processed in the order they are received. Participants must reapply each year and demonstrate they continue to meet eligibility requirements. The interest rate for all taxes postponed under the PTP program is seven percent. A lien is placed on the property until the account is paid in full. 

Applications for the 2019-2020 tax year will be available in September. Applications and additional program details can be found online or by calling (800) 952-5661. 

As the chief fiscal officer of California, Controller Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. The Controller also safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and has independent auditing authority over government agencies that spend state funds. She is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board. She also serves on the boards for the nation’s two largest public pension funds. Elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018, Controller Yee is only the tenth woman elected to a statewide office in California’s history. Follow the Controller on Twitter at @CAController and on Facebook at California State Controller’s Office.

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