November 24, 2014
Contact: Colene McEntee, Public Affairs Coordinator, 636-949-1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri - Over 300,000 tax bills will be mailed out before Thanksgiving, and this year St. Charles County taxpayers will notice something new on their bill – an opportunity to help the community by donating $1, $5, or $10 to Project CARE.
Project CARE (Community Assistance Relief Effort) was established through an effort led by County Council Member Joe Cronin, District 1. Administered by County Collector of Revenue Michelle McBride and supported by the County’s Community Assistance Board (CAB), the project will help support local nonprofit agencies that serve residents in need and receive support from the County’s Community Assistance Fund. CAB administers the fund, and 100% of the donations will go to nonprofits designated to receive funds. Donations are tax deductible.
“Wonderful nonprofit organizations in our community like Crider Center, Crisis Nursery, and Sts. Joachim and Ann have received support to help residents through the Community Assistance Fund,” said Cronin. “Project CARE is a simple and voluntary way for taxpayers to help those in need in our community.”
How to pay your taxes and donate to Project CARE:
Donating to Project CARE is easy – just check the $1, $5, or $10 Project CARE donation box on your tax bill or online through the Collector of Revenue’s online tax payment and donation website and add that amount onto your tax bill payment. For example, if a citizen’s tax bill is $500 and she wanted to make a $10 donation, the total amount would be $510. Please note – a donation box must be clearly checked on the tax bill for any funds over the bill amount to go to Project CARE.
• To pay your tax bill AND make a donation to Project CARE, you can pay by cash (in person only), check/cashier’s check/money order (payable to Michelle D. McBride, St. Charles County Collector), credit card (online only) or debit card (online only).
• To pay your tax bill ONLY, you can pay by cash (in person only), check/cashier’s check/money order (payable to Michelle D. McBride, St. Charles County Collector), credit card (by phone or online only), or debit card (by phone or online only).
Taxpayers have several ways to pay their tax bill and make a Project CARE donation:
• In person: From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the St. Charles County Administration Building, 201 N. Second Street, St. Charles, first floor. There is also a drop box located on N. Second Street in front of the County’s Administration Building.
• By mail: Send to Michelle D. McBride, Collector of Revenue, 201 N. Second St., Room 134, St. Charles, MO 63301. Please do not send cash payments by mail. Mailed payments are accepted as of the United States Post Office postmark date.
• By phone (tax payments ONLY, no Project CARE donations): Call 1-800-272-9829, enter jurisdiction code 3513, and follow the prompts.
• Online: Visit www.collector.sccmo.org. Online payments are posted based on the online payment transaction date/time. Taxpayers who want to use their own financial institution’s online bill pay system need to initiate their payment at least five working days prior to Dec. 31, 2014, to ensure payment will be received by the Collector of Revenue’s office on time.
Additional tax bill and deadline information:
Real estate tax bills will reach mailboxes first, and personal property tax bills will follow. Bills are also available online.
“When tax bills arrive, please look at the list of political subdivisions that receive the taxes you pay to understand where your tax dollars are going,” said McBride. “The bills detail the allocation of taxes to various entities, including the state, schools, cities, fire districts, library, ambulance, and dispatch and alarm.”
Each of the entities that receive a portion of the tax bill sets its own tax levy, known as the tax rate. The Collector of Revenue’s office is given the tax rates to collect and is responsible for distributing the taxes collected to the entities (also referred to as political subdivisions).
The assets listed on personal property tax bills should include everything owned on Jan. 1 of the tax year. All real estate owners should also receive a real estate tax bill(s). In addition to the owner of the real estate parcel(s) receiving bill(s), taxing services and mortgage companies receive an Electronic Bill File from the Collector of Revenue for use in paying from escrow accounts. Payment of the full tax amount is the responsibility of the current owner of the personal property and/or real estate (personally or from their escrow account).
Payments for 2014 taxes received on or after Jan. 1, 2015, are subject to late payment penalty and interest as required by state law. McBride encourages taxpayers to pay early to avoid any last minute issues. Failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of any tax liability imposed by state law.
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