City Treasurer

Treasurer Button to view your tax bill or print your receipt Opens in new window

IMPORTANT:

All Real Estate Taxes for your home must now be paid to Milwaukee County Treasurer:  414-278-4033.  


All Personal Property taxes for your business (not your home) can still be paid to the City of South Milwaukee. 


To pay Personal Property (Business) taxes online, visit our Online Payments page: Online Payments | South Milwaukee, WI (civicplus.com).


The City Treasurer’s office is responsible for the receipting and recording of all monies due to the city. The city’s accounts are monitored daily and surplus funds are invested. The Treasurer’s office oversees the city’s bank accounts. Various accounting duties are performed by this office. Tax bills are printed by the Treasurer’s office. 

Property taxes are collected from December through July and the pro-rata share of taxes due to Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), and the School District of South Milwaukee is calculated and processed by the Treasurer’s office pursuant to state statutes. 

Additional Duties

The Treasurer’s office also: 

  • Collects Property Tax
  • Collects and Invests City Funds
  • Reconciles Bank Statements
  • Performs Accounting Duties
  • Issues Dog and Cat Licenses

Services

  • To view or print your bill, print your receipt, or to see if your escrow payment has been processed visit the Real Estate Tax Bill page. Payment information is updated as soon as it is processed.
  • To pay Taxes by eCheck, credit, or debit card, visit the the Online Payments page of our website. Convenience fees apply.

General Information - Tax Payments

Agencies

The 2022 property tax bill consists of tax levies from four independent taxing agencies:

Where do your tax dollars go?

The Common Council generally sets the city’s levy in early December. The city portion of the tax bill is the only portion of the tax bill controlled by the Common Council. The remaining three taxing agencies set their own levies and send certification of their levies to the City of South Milwaukee for placement on the combined tax bill in accordance with state law. Questions regarding the tax levies from the remaining three taxing agencies must be directed directly to those agencies.

Address Changes/Ownership Changes

Tax bills do not forward.

  • If you will be temporarily away in December and would like your tax bill forwarded to an alternate address, please notify the Treasurer’s Office before November 20.
  • If you have moved, but still own a South Milwaukee property, or if you are a new owner, contact our Assessor’s office at 414-768-8052 before November 20 to make sure current information is on file so you receive your tax bill.
  • If you received a tax bill for a property that you sold, please forward it to the new owner or return the bill to the City Treasurer’s office.

Tax bills will be mailed to property owners by the 3rd Monday in December. As soon as the bills are printed they will be posted online for you to access.

Tax Bill Due Dates

Real Estate Taxes

The City of South Milwaukee offers two options for payment of your real estate taxes:

Option 1 - Full Payment Option

Full payment of the real estate taxes plus special assessments, special charges and delinquent utility amounts, if any, are due on or before January 31.

Option 2 - Installment Option (Refer to Tax Bill)

Please Note: Reminder notices are NOT mailed - the tax bill is the only bill you will receive. Mark your calendar with the tax installment due dates:

  • First Installment - January 31
  • Second Installment - April 30
  • Third (Final) Installment - July 31

The installment amounts are printed on the tax bill. Each installment amount must be paid on or before its required due date. Special charges, special assessments, and delinquent utility amounts are not eligible for the installment plan and are due January 31.

If January 31, April 30, or July 31 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, payment will be considered timely if made on the following business day.

Personal Property Taxes

Personal property taxes (taxes for a business) are due on or before January 31.

Interest Charged on Delinquent Taxes

The first time that an installment due date is missed or an installment amount is underpaid, the tax bill becomes delinquent and the installment option is forfeited. All delinquent taxes require an interest and penalty payment of 1.5% per month (fraction of a month counts as a whole month) on the total unpaid balance of the tax bill retroactive to February 1 until paid.

Delinquent real estate taxes are collected by the City of South Milwaukee for the current tax year through July 31. After July 31, delinquent real estate taxes must be paid to:
Milwaukee County Treasurer
901 N 9th Street
Courthouse - Room 102
Milwaukee, WI 53233

Call 414-278-4033 or go to Milwaukee County Treasurer page for more information. Delinquent personal property taxes (taxes for a business) continue to be paid directly to the City of South Milwaukee.