Residents and property owners in Union Township, West Reading Borough and Sinking Spring Borough will see changes to how their county and municipal real estate taxes are handled beginning in 2026.
Effective January 1, 2026, the Berks County Treasurer’s Office will serve as the official tax collector for county and borough real estate taxes in the three municipalities. The change comes after resolutions were passed by Union Township and the boroughs of West Reading and Sinking Spring authorizing the Treasurer’s Office to fulfill tax collection duties on their behalf.
As part of the transition, property owners in those municipalities will be required to direct all real estate tax payments to the Berks County Treasurer’s Office. Requests for tax certifications, receipts and related documentation will also be handled through the Treasurer’s Office, along with questions regarding billing, payment status and tax records.
The Berks County Treasurer’s Office is located at the Berks County Services Center, 633 Court Street, 2nd Floor, Reading. The office can be reached at 610-478-6640 or by email at treasurer@berkspa.gov.
In a related announcement, County Treasurer Mitchell R. Darcourt said residents in Union Township, Sinking Spring Borough and West Reading Borough can now pay outstanding annual and interim county real estate tax bills online using credit or debit cards.
The online payment system combines all outstanding tax bills issued within the calendar year into a single payment. Bills must be paid in full, as partial payments are not permitted. If multiple bills are outstanding, taxpayers must pay the full combined amount rather than selecting individual bills.
The online option applies only to county and municipal real estate taxes. School taxes, delinquent taxes and other taxes such as per capita taxes are not paid through the site. Delinquent property taxes must be paid through the county’s Tax Claim Bureau website.
Taxpayers who choose to pay online will be charged a service fee by the payment vendor. County officials noted that the service fee is not collected by the county or the municipality and is displayed during the payment process before completion.
Property owners can also search tax parcels online to determine whether any annual or interim tax bills are outstanding and view the current amount due. The system does not provide copies of bills and should not be used as a replacement for formal tax certifications.
The online payment portal is available through the Treasurer’s section of the Berks County website under Government and is also accessible through participating municipal websites.
County officials said the municipalities and the Treasurer’s Office are working to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining reliable and accessible service for taxpayers.