DOVER, Del. - The Delaware Senate voted unanimously Thursday to extend the property tax payment deadline for New Castle County to Dec. 31, giving taxpayers additional time to adjust to recent changes stemming from the property reassessment.
Senate Bill 206, sponsored by Sen. Jack Walsh and Rep. Kim Williams, moves the deadline from Nov. 30 to the end of the year for the 2025-2026 tax year. The legislation comes after Delaware’s Court of Chancery upheld House Bill 242 on Oct. 30, which allows New Castle County and its school districts to set different tax rates for residential and non-residential properties.
As a result of HB 242, many homeowners saw a decrease in their property tax bills. However, the court’s opinion also required the county to include additional information in its tax bills, prompting the need for more time to complete the mailing process and avoid confusion.
“Although the Court of Chancery ruled in the County’s favor and upheld House Bill 242, instructions from the Chancellor issued in her opinion means that the County now has to include some additional information in its tax bills,” explained Sen. Walsh. “That combination of factors prompted New Castle County to ask the General Assembly to extend the deadline for property tax collections to the end of the year — and that’s exclusively what Senate Bill 206 does.”
The bill is scheduled for consideration in the House Administration Committee on Friday, Nov. 7.