SURCHARGE
The Midtown Community Benefits District, is a legislated area in which property owners pay a surcharge on Baltimore City property taxes to fund cleaning, greening, security services and neighborhood advocacy. These services supplement those provided by city government. Across the country, these districts have proven to reduce crime, increase community engagement, and spark economic investment.
Enter a property address for a copy of the special benefit surcharge or pay your bill online.
SURCHARGE FAQs
Be sure to visit Baltimore's Special Benefits website in late July to determine your surcharge amount and pay promptly to avoid incurring fees and interest.
How is the surcharge
spent and who decides?
The Midtown Community Benefits District Board of Directors prepares an operating budget for each fiscal year. The budget is presented to the community for comment at the Spring Town Hall Meeting in March. It is then sent to the city’s Board of Estimates for approval. If you have any questions about the property tax surcharge or the budget, please call our President at (410) 528-1512. A copy of the current budget can be found here.
How is my surcharge
calculated?
The surcharge is based upon a property’s assessed value. The current surcharge is $0.132 per $100 of a property’s assessed value. Visit
Baltimore's Special Benefits website or call the Department of Finance at (410) 396-3987 to review a property’s current billing.
How is the surcharge different from the property tax?
The surcharge, derived from the formula above, is in addition to your city property tax. Both bills are sent by Baltimore City, although they arrive separately.
How do I benefit?
The Midtown Community Benefits District works hard to keep our neighborhoods’ streets and sidewalks clean and safe and our parks and trees healthy and green. The surcharge funds all of those efforts, which help drive up the desirability and, ultimately, property values of our communities.
When will I receive my bill?
Baltimore City surcharge bills cover a period from July 1 to June 30, and are usually mailed in mid-July. Delinquent bills are subject to fees and interest. Properties that fail to pay the surcharge bill may incur additional fees for non-payment and are subject to tax sale.
What if I have questions
about my bill?
For questions about your surcharge bill, contact the Department of Finance at (410) 396-3987, visit Baltimore's Special Benefits website or send an email to deptoffinance@baltimorecity.gov.
What happens if I do not
receive my surcharge bill?
You should contact the Department of Finance at (410) 396-3987 or send an email to deptoffinance@baltimorecity.gov.
In order to update the address of where you receive your surcharge bill, complete the steps outlined below following which best describes your situation:
This is still my primary residence but I need my surcharge bill to be sent to another address.
Notify Baltimore City by completing a MAILING ADDRESS CHANGE FORM and email to the Department of Finance at deptoffinance@baltimorecity.gov.
If you are renting the property out, you need to do the following: update your mailing address with Baltimore City and Maryland State. In addition, you will need to update the registration status to reflect this property is no longer your primary residence.
Notify Baltimore City by completing a MAILING ADDRESS CHANGE FORM and email to the Department of Finance at deptoffinance@baltimorecity.gov.
Notify Maryland State by completing an ADDRESS CHANGE / SDAT FORM. Form should be submitted to the appropriate office where the property is located. (see form for further details)
Update the PROPERTY REGISTRATION to indicate the property is no longer owner occupied. Additional information can be found in this FAQ. Please note: You must first set up an online account in order to access the registration system. Once the online account has been set up, you will receive an email with the account information. If there is an existing registration on file in your name, you will need the registration and payment ID numbers to continue. If you do not have this information, send an email to property_registration@baltimorecity.gov or call 410-396-3575 to obtain this information.
How can I update the address
of where my surcharge bill
is delivered ?
How do I pay my bill?
Checks must be made payable to "Director of Finance." and mailed to the following location:
City of Baltimore Bureau of Revenue Collections
P.O. Box 17535
Baltimore, MD 21297-1535
Online payments can be made by credit card or checking account on the Baltimore's Special Benefits website.
Credit card payments can be made over the phone at (877) 729-6269. Please note that a convenience fee will be charged for each payment. You will need the following information to use the automated phone service:
Account Number Information
Credit Card Information
Amount of Payment