What is the payment schedule for property taxes described as?

Property taxes are typically described as being paid in arrears. This means that the payment is made after the tax period has ended, rather than in advance. When property taxes are billed, they reflect taxes owed for the preceding period, which often aligns with the previous calendar year.

This payment structure allows governments to collect taxes based on services they have already provided, such as roads, schools, and emergency services. Homeowners receive a tax bill for the amount owed based on assessed property value, and they are expected to make those payments based on this assessment for the past fiscal year.

Consequently, other options do not accurately reflect how property taxes are structured; for example, paying in advance suggests that taxpayers would prepay taxes for upcoming services, which is not standard practice. Annual payments upon receipt might imply that taxes are due at one specific time, while paying monthly over the year does not align with the typical tax collection process found in most jurisdictions.