By mail

Checks should be made out to the City School District of Albany. Mail your check and your bill stub to:

City School District of Albany
P.O. Box 15133
Albany, NY 12212-5133

When paying by mail, please be sure:

1. The payment stub is enclosed;

2. Your check or money order is signed, dated and written for the correct amount; and

3. Your tax map number (also called "section/block/lot number") is written on your check or money order.

Date of payment will be determined by a United States Postal Service postmark. Any tax payment in an envelope without a U.S. Postal Service postmark will be considered paid on the date it is received by the school district. A postage meter postmark does not determine date of payment, nor does an envelope without a U.S. Postal Service postmark.

In person

To pay in person via a drop box, bring your tax bill with payment in the envelope provided to the Key Bank branch located at 66 South Pearl St. Bank hours are 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Online by credit or debit card

You can pay your taxes online with a Discover, MasterCard or Visa credit or debit card. When you do, there is a fee of 3.5 percent of your total tax bill with a $2.50 minimum  that goes to a third-party server.

Please note that the last day to pay your 2024 tax bill by credit card will be November 8, 2024. After that date, you will need to use one of the alternate payment methods listed above.

E-check payment

Now you can pay your school taxes by e-check. There is a flat fee of $4.95 on transactions up to $2,499. On bills more than $2,499, there is an additional 0.5 percent fee. There is a $25,000 maximum on e-check payments.

Please note that the last day to pay your 2024 tax bill by echeck will be Oct. 31, 2024. After that date, you will need to use one of the alternate payment methods listed above.

Tax bills paid after Sept. 30 will begin to accumulate interest and penalties. After Nov. 15, unpaid tax bills will be turned over to the Albany County Division of Finance and must be paid at their offices at 112 State St. in Albany.

A property owner who does not receive a school tax statement by mail is nevertheless subject to penalties on late payments as designated in Section 922 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law.

Also, under no circumstances can the school tax collector or other officials waive late penalties set in law.