Buncombe County’s property tax bills for 2026 are now in the mail.
This year’s tax cycle has been confusing for Buncombe residents. After conducting a property reappraisal in 2025, county officials informed taxpayers about their new, mostly higher property values in February. In June, the county Board of Commissioners approved a $484.4 million general fund budget
with tax rates set based on those updated values.But in July, the state legislature passed a law that prohibited Buncombe from using the new values unless it also adopted a “revenue-neutral” tax rate. That move would have cut the county’s planned tax revenue by $24 million, crimping its ability to pay staff and provide services.
In response, the county board reverted to the old, lower
property values but raised its tax rate to compensate. The bills now going out to Buncombe taxpayers reflect those latest changes.
When will I get my tax bill?
According to Buncombe County spokesperson Kassi Day, most tax notices were sent out Aug. 21 and should be arriving in taxpayers’ mailboxes soon. She said a second batch would be released “in the next couple of weeks.”
Buncombe is still assessing a small number of properties that have had recent upgrades or changes, noted Day. Owners of those properties will receive their tax bills in a third mailing, which could be several weeks after the other notices.
Tax bills for most properties are already available online at tax.buncombenc.gov. Property owners can search for their bill by name, address, parcel or tax bill number.
How long do I have to pay my property taxes?
Although property taxes are technically due Sept. 1, taxpayers can pay their bill without interest any time before Jan. 5, 2027. Payments can be made online at my.buncombenc.gov or by phone at 828-656-5636.
Buncombe does offer penalty-free plans for residents who need to spread their payments out over time. Taxpayers must call 828-250-4910 or visitbuncombenc.gov/taxcollections to enroll. Residents on those plans must make all payments by April or May 2027.
Residents who prefer to pay by check or money order must include the payment coupon found on their tax bill. Payments can be mailed to Buncombe County Tax Collections, PO Box 3140, Asheville, NC 28802-3140. Residents can also pay in person at the county tax office, located at 182 College Street in Asheville. Drop boxes are available at the tax office, 35 Woodfin St. in Asheville, and the Weaverville and Black Mountain libraries.
What tax increases should I expect?
Buncombe County’s property tax rate is 61.54 cents per $100 of appraised value, about 12.6% higher than last year’s rate of 54.66 cents per $100. Because appraised values are the generally the same as they were last year, that percentage increase will apply across most county properties.
The county also adopted a unified fire district with a tax rate of 17.38 cents per $100, replacing its previous mosaic of 20 different districts and rates. Residents can compare that figure with their fire district’s tax rate from last year’s bill to determine the impact. Last year’s rate for properties in the Reynolds district, for example, was 13.11 cents per $100, so this year represents a 32.6% increase.
Taxpayers in the Asheville City Schools district will see another increase. The supplemental tax rate is now 11.75 cents per $100, roughly 6.8% higher than last year’s rate of 11 cents per $100.
Do the old property values benefit me?
The tax impacts of the state’s property value moratorium vary widely across properties. Previous reporting by the Citizen Times found that the old values underestimated luxury properties, effectively giving them a tax break, while overestimating more modest homes. A report prepared for Buncombe County in 2024 acknowledged ”distortions” in assessments by property type.
Residents can calculate what their tax bills would have been under the new property values using the value from their previous reappraisal notice and the tax rates adopted in June. Those rates were 43.2 cents per $100 for property tax, 11.96 cents per $100 for the unified fire district, and 8.64 cents per $100 for the Asheville City Schools district.
The legislature’s action did come at a logistical cost to Buncombe County, noted Day. The county spent about $105,000 on mailing notices of the values that the state placed under a moratorium and expects to spend about $115,000 on new notices next year.
“We do not have a documented staff cost of time spent as most staff have paused other work to prioritize the work needed to complete the new billing/value alignment,” Day added.
What tax relief is available?
Buncombe County residents who are 65 years or older, disabled or veterans are eligible for reductions to their tax bill. Property under agricultural, forestry or conservation use may also qualify for lower taxes. More information is available atbuncombenc.gov/taxrelief.
The county also launched a new General Assistance Program that will award up to $500 toward tax bills for residents with a household income below 200% of the federal poverty level. Taxpayers can apply online at buncombenc.gov/gap or by calling Buncombe County Health and Human Services at 828-250-5500.
Daniel Walton is the City Government Watchdog Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times. Email him at dwalton@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Buncombe property tax bills are on their way. What homeowners should know
