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Office of Tax and Revenue
 

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Office of Tax and Revenue

Tune in starting July 1 at 2 pm to Tax Talk DC—OTR’s new monthly podcast, created with DC Cable, bringing you clear insights on DC taxes, agency updates, and resources across DC Radio, WHUR 96.3 HD4, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and more.

In-person appointments for OTR’s Walk-In Center and the Recorder of Deeds Office can be made here.
Certificate of Clean Hands: Obtaining a Certificate of Clean Hands is a simple process by visiting MyTax.DC.gov.

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Real Property Tax Certificate

Tax certificates reflect the most current general taxes and special assessment fees intended for real property purchases as outlined under DC Official Code §47-405. A tax certificate indicates whether real property taxes for a specific property are in arrears, as well as unpaid obligations for DC water and sewer charges, Clean City liabilities, Business Improvement District (BID) taxes, vault rents, and special assessment charges.

Payment of a non-refundable $15.00 (Per LOT) is required prior to issuing a certificate. Certificates are issued upon confirmation of payment via email within 10 business days. All tax certificates are processed in the order received. RUSH requests are NOT accepted.

For inquiries and assistance, please contact the Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) Real Property Tax Administration Special Programs Unit at tax.certificate@dc.gov or OTR’s Customer Service Administration at (202) 727-4TAX (4829), Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, excluding holidays.

Benefits of ordering tax certificate online:

  • Convenient and easy-to-use: No need to print forms, write checks or pay postage. You can request a tax certificate 24/7.
  • eCheck payments are free of charge.
  • Reliable: When you pay, you will get a confirmation number as proof of your payment.
  • Tax certificates are electronic and emailed to the requested email address. 

To use the Real Property Tax Certificate Application online system:

  • Access the Tax Certificate Application at MyTax.DC.gov and go to "View More Options" and click on "Submit a Tax Certificate Application." Enter the required information. All requestor information fields are required.
  • Enter one or more SSLs (Square, Suffix and Lot numbers) by clicking the “Add SSL” button for each SSL. There is no limit to the number of SSLs that can be added. Note: all SSLs are validated against the Real Property Assessment Database to ensure that certificates for only valid properties are requested.
  • You may remove one or more lots by selecting the “Remove Record” checkbox next to the property and clicking the Remove SSL(s) button.
  • After completing the form, click the “Submit Application” button to complete the payment process. Form of payments accepted are eCheck and credit card*. 
  • Read all instructions and click the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page. You will be redirected to the “Payment” page. Enter the required payment details and click the “Pay” button at the bottom of the page. If the payment information is accurate and the payment is accepted, a confirmation page will be immediately displayed and a confirmation email will be sent shortly thereafter. You may print the confirmation page by clicking the “Print” button at the bottom of the page.
  • Your tax certificates will be emailed to the Requestor’s email address provided on the Tax Certificate Application within 10 business days.

*Credit card payments are subject to a non-refundable third-party fee, normally set at 2.5% of the transaction amount. 

 

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