COVID-19 Requests for Property Tax Penalty Relief

About the Program

Category: Risk and Emergency Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2021

In May 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in response to the financial hardship suffered by taxpayers because of COVID-19. Executive Order N-61-20 allows the tax collector to cancel penalties and interest on unpaid taxes for residential or small business properties. If a taxpayer was impacted by COVID-19, the person had to file a claim with the tax collector for this relief and demonstrate that they suffered economic hardship. The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector expeditiously developed a program that allows taxpayers to electronically access the necessary information and request forms for submission. The program included a dashboard by which the tax collector can record, track and report on all COVID-19 penalty cancellation requests. As a result, the San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector efficiently helped the taxpayers obtain some relief from economic problems created by the pandemic. The San Diego County Treasurer-Tax Collector processed almost 5,000 COVID-19 penalty cancellation requests, and the program will continue to be used until the executive order expires or future legislative changes are made.