The Treasurer’s Office is responsible for the collection and distribution of taxes and for making investments on behalf of the county. In addition to collecting property taxes for the county, the office collects property taxes for 120 taxing authorities including school districts, fire districts, water boards, and cities. The Treasurer’s Office collects taxes for real property, mobile homes, and business personal property (business equipment). The Treasurer’s Office also maintains fund accounts for all county departments, pays county warrants, and invests funds. Over $43 million of the county’s investments are local.

Description of Services

Property Taxes

A central source of revenue, these taxes are paid in our office, by mail, online, or over the phone. Instructions for each of these payment methods are provided on the back of your property tax notice. Our office bills property taxes, collects property taxes, invests money, and disburses property tax revenue to the authorities it collects for.

Senior Tax Deferral Program

The senior tax deferral program is offered by the State of Colorado. It allows eligible seniors to postpone tax payments on their primary residence until they sell their property, or their estate is settled after death. Interest is applied to the amount deferred. The Boulder County Treasurer’s Office collects the information and sends it to the State of Colorado, which manages the program, determines eligibility, and notifies the county treasurers who has been approved or disapproved.

Tax Lien Sale

Once a year, real properties with unpaid taxes are subject to having a tax lien placed on the property. An annual sale on these properties is held.

Public Trustee

In July 2020, the Boulder County Treasurer became the Public Trustee by law. The Public Trustee is a neutral third party in the foreclosure process. They are neither an advocate nor an adversary for the property owner and the lender. Instead, the Public Trustee follows the law to make sure that the rights of both the homeowner and the lender are protected.

Because the Public Trustee is listed on Deeds of Trust in Colorado, whenever mortgages are paid off or refinanced, the Public Trustee signs off on the Release of Deeds of Trust.

Public Education and Outreach

The Treasurer’s Office, working closely with the Assessor’s Office and other resources throughout the county, initiated public education and outreach events regarding property types, property taxes and programs to assist property owners in Boulder County. The first of these efforts was a series of open houses for property owners qualifying for senior tax assistance programs. Another component of the program was outreach to business organizations and to help educate their members about the Business Personal Property tax, which is tax on business equipment. The Treasurer’s Office worked with businesses responsible for the tax to help them understand the process to declare taxable items. The newest piece of this public service campaign is broader public engagement and education to help citizens understand their tax bill.