Hey neighbors, Todd Kornack here with TK Realty Group at Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services. Kentucky property tax bills are hitting mailboxes, and my feeds are full of the same handful of questions. One neighbor posted that she just got her bill and could think of a million other things she would rather spend that money on. I hear you! Here are plain talk answers, focused on Shelbyville, La Grange and Frankfort, plus a quick note for my friends across the river.
When is it due, and how do I get the discount?
Under the standard Kentucky schedule, if your county mails bills by October 1, you get a 2% discount for paying in full by November 1. From November 2 through December 31 you pay the face amount. Starting January 1 a 5% penalty kicks in, and it gets steeper after January 31.
One wrinkle this year: November 1, 2026 falls on a Sunday, when sheriff offices are closed, and none of the counties I checked has announced a Monday extension. To be safe, pay in person by Friday, October 30, pay online, or mail it early. The Shelby County Sheriff accepts postmarks, while the Oldham County Sheriff says your payment must be received in the office by the discount date.
The Oldham County Sheriff says its bills go out by the end of September each year, so La Grange and Crestwood folks should be on that standard clock. The Shelby County Sheriff lists its 2% discount period as October 1 through November 1, with the face amount due through December 31, so Shelbyville is on the standard clock too. Not every county runs the same dates, though. In Louisville, the Jefferson County Sheriff mails bills by November 1 and gives the 2% discount through December 1, with the face amount due through January 2. Last year Franklin County mailed bills at the end of October and ran its 2% discount from November 1 through November 30. As of October 9 the Franklin County Sheriff had not posted its 2026 dates, so Frankfort folks, watch your mailbox. My advice: go by the dates printed on your own bill.
I'm 65 or older. Is there a break for me?
Yes, and plenty of people miss it. Kentucky's homestead exemption takes up to $49,100 off your home's assessed value for the 2025 and 2026 tax years. You qualify if you are 65 or older during the tax year, or if you are classified as totally disabled, and you owned and lived in the home as your main residence on January 1.
It is not automatic. You file Form 62A350 with your county PVA by December 31. In Shelby County that is the PVA office at 501 Washington Street, Suite 1, in Shelbyville, phone (502) 633 4403. In Oldham County, call the PVA at (502) 222 9320. Franklin County's sheriff asks folks to sort out the exemption before paying, so call first.
The rate didn't change. Why did my bill go up?
Your bill is two numbers multiplied together: your assessed value times the combined tax rates. The PVA sets the value, assessed at full fair cash value as of January 1. The state, county, city, school board and special districts each set their own rates. The sheriff just collects.
So when home values climb, your bill can rise even if every rate holds steady. A Shelby County school board member made exactly that point last fall when the board kept its rate at 71.4 cents per $100. This year statewide assessments were estimated to be up 6.48%, which is why the state's own rate actually dropped to 10.3 cents per $100.
Some local rates did go up for 2026. Oldham County Schools raised its rate 4% to 82 cents per $100, which WDRB figures is about $2,460 in school tax on a $300,000 home. In Frankfort, the Frankfort Independent Schools board set its rate at 105.2 cents, a 2% increase.
Can I still appeal my assessment?
Not for this bill. In Kentucky the appeal window opens during the tax roll inspection period, which starts the first Monday in May and runs 13 days. You have to sit down with the PVA first, and then you have until one workday after the inspection period ends to file. If you think your value is off, mark your calendar for May 2027. I'm happy to pull comparable sales for you.
My mortgage company pays it, right?
If you have an escrow account, probably, but check. Franklin County's sheriff notes that bills are mailed to the homeowner, not the mortgage company, and suggests you ask your lender whether they need a copy. A quick phone call now beats a surprise later.
I'm buying or selling this fall. Who pays?
The bill always lists whoever owned the home on January 1. Buyers and sellers often split the year at closing, but under Kentucky guidance the January 1 owner stays responsible unless the contract clearly says the buyer takes it on. After 50+ transactions, this is one line on the settlement statement I always double check.
Over in Southern Indiana
Jeffersonville, New Albany and Charlestown homeowners, your fall installment is due November 10, 2026. Indiana also added a new Supplemental Homestead Credit this year, the lesser of 10% of your homestead tax or $300, applied automatically if you have the standard homestead deduction on file.
My Take
Property taxes are part of the real cost of owning a home. The key is knowing your dates, claiming every exemption you have earned, and keeping an eye on your value each spring.
Got a question about your bill or your home's value? Call or text me at (502) 232 1915 or email toddtkrealty@gmail.com. No pressure, just a straight answer.
Did your bill go up this year, or are you holding steady? Drop a comment below and tell me which county you are in. I read every one.
Todd Kornack TK Realty Group at Schuler Bauer Real Estate Services Read the full post on my website: https://toddsellskentuckiana.huzi.site/blog/property-tax-bill-questions-shelby-oldham-2026/
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