If you own property in Marion County, you have already lived through one half of the 2026 tax year. The spring installment was due May 11, 2026. The other half is coming: the fall installment is due November 10, 2026, and for many Indianapolis owners it will be noticeably larger than recent years.
This post walks through what the fall bill reflects, exactly how to pay it, the penalty structure if you miss the date, and what to do if you have an open appeal on the assessment that produced the bill.
Why the 2026 fall bill stings more
Both 2026 installments are based on the January 1, 2025 assessment date. That assessment added an estimated $5.5 billion in assessed value to Indianapolis commercial and industrial parcels and roughly $2 billion to multifamily and apartment properties. Higher assessed value flows directly into higher tax bills, and those bills landed in spring 2026.
The fall installment is the second half of that same annual obligation. In Indiana, the spring and fall installments are normally equal halves of the year's total tax liability. So if your spring bill jumped, your fall bill reflects the same increase.
Combined Marion County tax rates run roughly $30 to $45 per $1,000 of net assessed value depending on the taxing district - among the highest in the state. That rate spread is one reason an assessment increase here is felt so sharply.
When and how to pay
The fall due date is November 10, 2026. Mark it now. Payment options in Marion County include:
| Method | Where | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online | indy.gov treasurer portal | Card or e-check; convenience fee may apply |
| Marion County Treasurer | Postmark on or before Nov 10 | |
| In person | City-County Building, 200 E Washington St | Bring your parcel statement |
| Bank/escrow | Your mortgage servicer | Confirm the servicer remits on time |
If your mortgage includes an escrow account, your servicer usually pays both installments for you. Do not assume - verify with your servicer that the fall payment is scheduled, especially if your bill increased and your escrow has not yet been re-analyzed.
Warning
Do not wait until November 10 to discover a problem. If you pay online, confirm the payment posts. If you mail a check, get a postmark. A payment that arrives one day late is treated the same as one that never came.
The penalty structure
Indiana applies a tiered late-payment penalty:
- 5% if you pay within 30 days of the due date AND the parcel has no prior delinquency.
- 10% otherwise - meaning if you pay more than 30 days late, or if the parcel already carried an unpaid balance.
On a $6,000 half-installment, that is a difference between a $300 penalty and a $600 penalty. The 5% grace window is genuinely valuable, but it is not a substitute for paying on time, and it disappears entirely if you have any prior delinquency on the parcel.
If your appeal is still pending
Many Marion County owners filed a Form 130 appeal of the 2025 assessment by the June 15, 2026 deadline. Here is the rule that surprises people: a pending appeal does not pause your obligation to pay. You must pay the bill as issued, on both the May and November dates.
If your appeal is not resolved by the final installment due date, taxing officials may require a bond or escrow of the disputed amount. If you ultimately win the appeal, you receive a refund or credit for the overpayment. If you lose, you owe nothing more because you already paid as billed. See our detailed walkthrough of refunds after a winning appeal.
The safe path is straightforward: pay the November 10 installment in full, keep your appeal moving, and let the refund mechanism make you whole if you prevail.
Township nuance
Marion County has nine township assessors - Center, Decatur, Franklin, Lawrence, Perry, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne. The township that assessed your parcel can affect how your value was set, but payment is centralized: the County Treasurer collects, and you pay the same way regardless of township. Your certified tax rate, however, depends on your taxing district. See Marion County certified tax rates for 2026 for how rates differ across the county.
What the fall bill does NOT change
A common misconception is that the fall installment is a fresh assessment or a new tax. It is neither. It is the second half of the same annual liability set by the January 1, 2025 assessment. The fall bill does not:
- Reflect any value change from an appeal you filed (that flows through later as a refund or credit).
- Reset penalties from a missed spring installment - those remain on the parcel.
- Account for deductions you applied for after the assessment was certified.
If you believe your homestead deduction, over-65 deduction, or another benefit is missing from the bill, that is worth resolving with the assessor - but it is separate from simply paying the installment on time. Pay first, reconcile second.
Reading your statement before you pay
Before sending payment, pull your tax statement and confirm three things:
- The parcel number matches the property you intend to pay on. Owners with multiple parcels sometimes pay one twice and miss another.
- The net assessed value reflects any deductions you are entitled to.
- The taxing district and rate are correct for your location.
If your spring installment posted correctly, the fall installment will normally be the matching half. A sudden mismatch between the two halves is worth a call to the Treasurer before November 10.
Avoiding tax sale
Unpaid Marion County taxes do not simply accumulate quietly. Parcels with delinquent taxes can eventually be placed on the annual tax sale list. The path to tax sale starts with a missed installment and compounds with penalties, interest, and fees. The single best protection is to pay each installment on time, or at minimum within the 5% grace window while you resolve any dispute.
If you already missed the spring installment, read our missed May 11 payment guide for how to limit the damage before the fall bill stacks on top.
The progression generally runs: missed installment, then penalty (5% or 10%), then continued delinquency, then placement on the tax sale list, then sale of a tax lien against the parcel. Each step adds cost and urgency. The earlier you intervene, the cheaper and simpler the fix.
A simple year-end plan
To close out the 2026 tax year cleanly in Marion County:
| Step | When | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Verify statement | Now | Confirm parcel, AV, district |
| Confirm escrow | September | Ask servicer if fall is scheduled |
| Pay installment | By Nov 10 | Online, mail, or in person |
| Confirm posting | After payment | Check the payment cleared |
| Track appeal | Ongoing | Keep Form 130 case moving |
Treat the fall installment as a scheduled obligation rather than a surprise, and the November 10 date passes without drama.
Find Your Property
Look up your parcel, taxing district, and assessed value before you pay. Start at Marion County, then narrow to residential or commercial parcels.
Not sure whether your fall bill is even correct? Our property lookup tool surfaces your assessment history and comparable parcels in seconds, and our tax appeal service can tell you whether the increase behind your bill is worth challenging next cycle.
Related Reading
- How to read your Indiana property tax bill
- When are Indiana property taxes due?
- Marion County certified tax rates for 2026
- Missed the May 11 Marion County payment? What to do
- Indiana property tax caps and circuit breakers explained
For official due dates and payment confirmation, see the DLGF property tax due dates page and the Marion County Assessor's Office.