Real Property (Real Estate) consists of land and any improvement attached to the land, such as houses, mobile homes on private lots and in mobile home parks, barns, fences, wells, septic systems, and driveways. Land and improvements are valued by a field appraiser on a regular basis. Real property assessment notices are mailed March 1 of each year to all recorded property owners informing them of the assessed value upon which they will be taxed.
Personal/Business property consists of items not permanently affixed to the land, such as truck campers, boats, and assets or equipment used to operate a business. Unless otherwise exempted by Borough Code 5.12.125 (Personal Property Tax-Exemptions-First $100,000), all personal/business property owners are required to file an assessment declaration form February 15 of each year or a 10% late filing penalty will be charged. Personal/business property assessment notices are mailed to all filers to inform them of the value upon which they will be taxed.
Tax bills are typically mailed out July 1 of each year for the current year taxes. The Borough and Cities have until June 15 of each year to set the mill levy.
Taxes are due in full October 15.
At the option of the taxpayer, they may be paid in two installments:
If the first installment of the taxes payable is not paid by September 15, payment of the taxes in full becomes due on or before October 15.
Envelopes must be postmarked on or before the due date to avoid penalty and interest charges. The Borough does not assume responsibility for timeliness of postmarks. Checks received over the counter or through the mail will be deposited on the day they are received.
View your account information via this website or you can contact the tax department. It is the responsibility of the property owner to see that a bill is received and taxes are paid. Tax bills are sent to the owner and the address on record as of July 1. If you move, it is your responsibility to send written notification to this office. A delay in recording of the deed can also result in you not receiving a bill on your property.
You should receive a separate tax bill for each property you own.
If you did not receive a tax bill for personal/business property, then you may have failed to file your personal property statement with the Assessing Department or the completed the filing late. These bills will be assessed a 10% late fee or non-filing fee and be mailed out in early September.
Make checks, money orders, cashier checks or traveler’s checks payable to: Kenai Peninsula Borough or KPB. ALL checks will be deposited on the day they are received.
Note: Please provide payment stubs or property identification number (PIN) when making payment to ensure payment is applied to the proper account(s).
Penalty and interest are calculated as follows: Late payment penalty of 5% of the taxes due shall be added to all delinquent taxes on the day they become delinquent and an additional penalty of 5% of the taxes due shall be added to any tax more than 30 days delinquent. Interest shall be calculated at 10% per year from the date that the taxes would have ordinarily come due in accordance with KPB 5.12.190(A). Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer of responsibility for timely payment or constitute cause for cancellation of penalty, interest or costs in cases of delinquency.
Once the account becomes delinquent, postmarks are no longer honored and payment must be received in the office by the due date shown on the bill to be considered timely in order to avoid additional charges.
Property Taxes are due and payable as billed even if you have filed an appeal on the assessed value of your property or are waiting an adjustment. A refund will be made, if appropriate, after resolution of your appeal or adjustment.
Yes, but the exact amount will not be known until after the Borough and cities have established the mill levy for that year. If you make a payment before taxes are billed you must specify with your payment the appropriate property identification number (PIN) and that you are making an advance payment. Advance payments at this time can NOT be done via the web.
In a typical real estate transaction, taxes are prorated by the title company, and the buyer is given credit for the seller's portion. Please look at your settlement statement provided by the title company to confirm this. In most cases the Borough does NOT receive money for property sold before tax bills are generated.
If your assessment declaration form was filed late or involuntarily for either personal/business property a 10% late filing fee has been added to your account. If you have questions regarding this fee, contact the Assessing Department at 907-714-2230.
Tax bills are mailed to persons listed as owners of record on the tax rolls and to other persons who may have an interest in the property and may be paying the taxes. Taxpayers should know if they are responsible to pay the taxes or if there is a lender which intends to pay. However, it is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure taxes are paid when due in order to avoid penalty and interest charges. If you are not clear as to who should be paying the taxes, please contact your lender. The Borough cannot guarantee payment by another party. To ensure prompt payment you can view the status of your bill and make payment via the web, or call the office at 907-714-2304.
If you received a real estate tax bill for property you no longer own, please forward it to the new owner, if possible or return it to this office. If you received a personal property tax bill for property you no longer own, but you did own it on January 1, of the current year, you are still responsible for paying the taxes. If you did not own the personal property on or before January 1, you need to contact the Assessing Department immediately at 907-714-2230.
Property taxes are billed on a calendar year basis (January - December).
On or about the last week of February, a petition for judgment and decree of foreclosure is filed with the Superior Court concerning real property parcels with unpaid delinquent taxes for the preceding year(s) (e.g. property with delinquent 2009 and prior years taxes will be foreclosed following the March 2010 statutory publication and noticing period). Foreclosed property may be redeemed during the one-year redemption period by paying the tax amount(s) along with penalty, interest, and costs due. Properties not redeemed prior to the expiration of redemption period are deeded to the Borough or city in which the property is located. Deeded properties that are not repurchased beforehand may be taken by the Borough or city for public purpose or sold at a public land auction. Additional information regarding foreclosure, deed, and sale of foreclosed property may be obtained by contacting the office at 907-714-2303.
Payment will be reversed off of the account back to the effective date of the payment. The tax billing system will automatically apply any penalty, interest and costs as if the payment was never made. An additional $25.00 cost will be added for returned check fee.
It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure their taxes are paid timely each year. Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the taxpayer of responsibility for timely payment or constitute cause for cancellation of penalty, interest or costs in cases of delinquency.
At this time the Kenai Peninsula Borough only accepts payment over the phone by IVR (Interactive Voice Response) at 1-844-611-4024. We also accept online payments in the form of eCheck or credit card via our website at kpb.us. The eCheck transactions are free of charge and credit card transactions are charged a convenience fee of 2.35% of the tax amount paid.
Any merchant who offers credit cards as a payment option must pay a "discount fee" to the credit card companies (i.e., Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), which is a percentage of each transaction. Whether the merchant is a local store or an online store, the bank charges a fee to the merchant. Those merchants build that fee into their cost of doing business.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough receives none of the convenience fee. It is used by the vendor to pay the discount fee plus their cost of providing the service. The vendor has paid for all costs of developing and maintaining our credit card programs. This method of using an outside vendor and charging a convenience fee is widely used throughout the U.S. because it involves no cost to local government.
In addition to credit card payments, the Borough offers the option of paying by eCheck. This method allows funds to be directly withdrawn from your checking account after the information has been verified by your financial institution. This alternative ensures that taxpayers seeking different payment methods can choose one that best suits their needs without incurring additional costs to our local government.
The KPB conducts a real property tax foreclosure auction in October of each year, providing there are sufficient parcels. A tax foreclosure brochure is published in August/September of each year that lists the properties to be auctioned and the terms of the sale. The KPB only sells tax-foreclosed properties by tax foreclosure auction. Parcels that do not sell at an auction are held until the next auction. The KPB distributes its tax foreclosure brochures at the Kenai Peninsula Borough building, but does not mail brochures.
All properties listed in tax foreclosure brochures will be offered for sale unless redeemed by the last record owner or their heirs or assigns. Prospective bidders are also advised that the Borough reserves the right to withdraw any or all of the parcels listed for sale.
Aerial photographs and/or copies of the subdivision plats of most of the sale properties may be viewed or purchased at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration Building in the Planning Department.
The property is offered for sale subject to any and all restrictions, easements, or reservations of record, zoning ordinances, and any and all plat requirements and covenants. The Borough does not warrant that the parcels are suited for any particular use whatsoever. There may be major geophysical hazards, access problems, occupancy, prior use commitments or easements, difficult soils or wetlands, or other problems that might make any of these parcels difficult or impossible to use. Because of these possible problems, all prospective bidders are urged to personally inspect and examine carefully any parcels they are interested in prior to the sale.
Prospective buyers are advised that the Borough does not vouch for its right, title, or interest in any of the properties. The Borough will use a Tax Foreclosure Deed to convey title.
Bid registration and bid procedures will be explained prior to the beginning of the auction.
The successful bidder is required to make a minimum down payment of ten percent (10%) of the bid amount or $1,000.00, whichever is greater, prior to the close of the auction. The balance must be paid in full within 15 days of the date of the auction (the exact date will be stated in the brochure). Payments on the day of the auction may be made with cash, personal check, or cashier’s check. Credit card payments will also be accepted, but are limited to $25,000 per parcel and include a 2.35% convenience fee. Payments made after the date of the auction, must be made in the form of cash or a certified cashier's check only. In the event the balance is not paid in full by the stated due date in the brochure, the down payment will be forfeited and the parcel will be added to the Borough’s parcel inventory for later disposition.
Tax foreclosure brochures are published in August and are available for pick-up at the Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration Building in the Land Management Division of the Planning Department. Brochures may also be viewed 30 days prior to an auction on our website at www.kpb.us then proceed to the Land Management web page.
Approximately October of each year, providing there are sufficient parcels.
Yes, for other borough land sales please refer to our website at www.kpb.us then proceed to the Land Management web page.
Yes, tax foreclosed property is either sold by live auction or public outcry auction.
The tax foreclosure auctions are typically held in the Soldotna High School auditorium, located at 425 W Marydale Ave, Soldotna, Alaska. Please note that this location is subject to change.
Advertising in local peninsula newspapers begins approximately 30 days prior to the auction, once a week for four weeks.
Yes, or have a representative with power of attorney bid on your behalf for either type of auction.
Foreclosure auctions are conducted using a public outcry auction format, also known as a live auction. This approach requires bidders or their representatives to be present and make their bids openly in a live setting, facilitated by an auctioneer. This ensures a transparent and fair process for all participants.
No. Bid registration begins at 9:00 a.m. on the day of the auction with the sale commencing at approximately 10:00 a.m.
No, we do not maintain a mailing list.
Cash, personal check, cashier’s check, credit card or money order. Personal checks are only accepted at the auction. Credit cards must be used in-person at the Kenai Peninsula Borough building. Secured funds are required for final payments.
A Tax Foreclosure Quitclaim Deed is used to transfer title.