(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 47-501, there is hereby levied for each fiscal year a tax on the real property in the District of Columbia at a rate or rates determined according to the provisions of this chapter. Unless otherwise provided by law, all revenues received from such tax shall be deposited, from time to time, in the Treasury of the United States, to the credit of the District of Columbia.

(b) Real property taxes shall be due and payable semiannually in 2 equal installments, the first installment to be paid on or before March 31st, and the second installment to be paid on or before September 15th; provided, that an owner shall have at least 30 days from the date of the issuance of a bill to pay an installment; provided further, that for the tax year 2020 first installment owing for a real property that is commercially improved and occupied and is a hotel or motel; provided, that the Chief Financial Officer, through the Office of Tax and Revenue, shall issue administrative guidance on the definition of a hotel or motel, the Chief Financial Officer may waive any penalties and abate interest if the owner pays such installment by June 30, 2020.

(c) If at any time after the date provided by § 26(a) of this act any real property tax, or any installment of real property tax, is not paid within the time prescribed, there shall be added to the real property tax or installment a penalty of 10% of the unpaid amount plus simple interest on the unpaid amount at the rate of 1-1/2% per month or portion of a month until the real property tax or installment is paid. The amount of the unpaid real property tax, or installment of the real property tax, plus the penalty or interest due, shall constitute a delinquent tax to be collected in the manner prescribed by law.

(d) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, a payment shall be due on or before September 15, 1993, equal to one-half of the tax year 1993 tax rate for the real property upon which real property tax is levied multiplied by the assessed value for tax year 1994 of the real property upon which real property tax is levied.

(Sept. 3, 1974, 88 Stat. 1052, Pub. L. 93-407, title IV, § 411; June 15, 1976, D.C. Law 1-70, title III, § 305, 23 DCR 540; Mar. 3, 1979, D.C. Law 2-138, § 5, 25 DCR 5147; Dec. 18, 1979, D.C. Law 3-40, § 3, 26 DCR 1950; Feb. 28, 1987, D.C. Law 6-212, § 20, 34 DCR 850; June 24, 1988, D.C. Law 7-129, § 3, 35 DCR 4102; Sept. 21, 1988, D.C. Law 7-143, § 3, 35 DCR 5403; Oct. 19, 1989, D.C. Law 8-46, § 2(a), 36 DCR 5783; Sept. 30, 1993, D.C. Law 10-25, § 101(b), 40 DCR 5489; Sept. 9, 1996, D.C. Law 11-153, § 2, 43 DCR 4380; Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-254, § 2, 44 DCR 1575; June 9, 2001, D.C. Law 13-305, § 502(c), 48 DCR 334; Dec. 4, 2014, D.C. Law 20-141, § 101(a)(4)(A), 61 DCR 7763; Feb. 26, 2015, D.C. Law 20-155, §§ 7102(a)(4), 7104, 61 DCR 9990; Mar. 17, 2020, D.C. Act 23-247, § 201(a), 0 DCR 0.)

1981 Ed., § 47-811.

1973 Ed., § 47-631.

This section is referenced in § 42-3171.01, § 47-813, § 47-825.01a, § 47-857.03, § 47-857.04, § 47-857.05, § 47-857.06, § 47-857.07, § 47-857.08, § 47-858.03, § 47-858.04, § 47-859.03, § 47-865, § 47-866, § 47-872, § 47-873, § 47-895.23, § 47-1336, and § 47-1806.09a.

D.C. Law 13-305, in subsec. (b), substituted “; provided, that an owner shall have at least 30 days from the date of the issuance of a bill to pay an installment; provided further,” for “, except”.

The 2014 amendment by D.C. Law 20-141, repealed before its effective date, would have substituted “plus simple interest on the unpaid amount at the rate of 1%” for “plus interest on the unpaid amount at the rate of 1%” in (c).

The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-155 substituted “plus simple interest on the unpaid amount” for “plus interest on the unpaid amount” in (c).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a)(2) of the Residential Real Property Equity and Transparency Emergency Amendment Act of 2014, (D.C. Act 20-342, May 28, 2014, 61 DCR 5691).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7112(a)(4) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-377, July 14, 2014, 61 DCR 7598, 20 STAT 3696).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 101(a)(2) of the Residential Real Property Equity and Transparency Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-409, Aug. 1, 2014, 61 DCR 8281).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7102(a)(4) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-449, October 10, 2014, 61 DCR 10915, 20 STAT 4188).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, as amended by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7102(a), see the first § 2(q) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Clarification Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-461, November 6, 2014, 61 DCR 11784, 20 STAT 4368).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 7102(a)(4) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Second Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-566, January 9, 2015, 62 DCR 884, 21 STAT 541).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, as amended by D.C. Law 20-155, § 7102(a), see the first § 2(q) of the Fiscal Year 2015 Budget Support Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-587, January 13, 2015, 62 DCR 1294, 21 STAT 758).

For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(d) of Real Property Tax Clarity and Litter Control Administration Temporary Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Law 14-8, June 13, 2001, law notification 48 DCR 5916).

Notation of debt service requirement on real property tax bills: Section 6 of D.C. Law 10-126 provided that commencing with the tax year beginning October 1, 1994, and ending September 20, 1995, and for each tax year thereafter, the Mayor shall note on the 1st half tax bill which is due and payable by March 31, 1995, and on the 2nd half tax bill which is due and payable by September 15, 1995, the percent of the total real property tax levy that constitutes the special real property tax levy.