November 22, 2016
Contact: Mary Enger, Communications Director, 636-949-1856, or 636-443-1008, menger@sccmo.org
St. Charles County, Missouri - By Nov. 30, more than 355,000 tax bills for 2016 are scheduled to be mailed by the St. Charles County Collector of Revenue. For the second year, real estate and personal property bills will be combined into one bill in one envelope for the convenience of the taxpayer.
“We received feedback from residents that having both bills in one easy-to-recognize envelope last year during the busy holiday mail season was much appreciated,” says Michelle McBride, Collector of Revenue. “We want to continue to make the tax payment process as easy as possible.”
Taxpayers should note, however, that they could still receive real estate and personal property tax bills in separate envelopes if there are different name and address variations on their personal property assessment forms and real estate and vehicle titles. To prevent this in the future, residents should make sure the name and address on their 2017 personal property assessment forms and real estate and vehicle title(s) match.
Additionally, taxpayers may receive a revised bill in the mail due to clarification or correction of new special assessments, resolution of state tax commission appeals and/or addition or deletion of personal property items. Taxpayers should pay according to the revised statement. In cases of bills that are revised due to clarification or correction of new special assessments, taxpayers can expect to receive a new bill before Dec. 7.
Important 2016 Tax Payment Deadline Reminder and Ways to Pay
Tax payments are due by Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016. Since the County’s offices will be closed on the weekend, McBride urges taxpayers to plan ahead.
“If you plan to make your payment by mail or in person, please allow plenty of time,” says McBride. “Since the office will be closed for the weekend, payments on Dec. 31 can be made at the Collector’s outdoor drop box, by phone, or through our payment website. However, I encourage citizens not to wait until the last minute to pay by phone or online because technical difficulties do not extend the statutory deadline to pay without late payment penalties and interest.”
Following are ways to pay:
- 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, at the payment windows or in the drop box in the lobby. Additionally, there is a drop box located on N. Second Street in front of the County’s Administration Building.
Payments by check, money order, cashier’s check and cash are accepted in person; check, money order, and cashier’s check payments can be submitted through the drop boxes. Please note that credit/debit card and eCheck payments must be submitted by phone through the tax payment line, or online.
- 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 postmark date. If there is no postmark, payment will be accepted on the date that the Collector of Revenue’s office receives the envelope.
- By phone: Call the tax payment line at 1-800-272-9829, enter jurisdiction code 3513, and follow the prompts.
- Online: Visit stcharlesmocollector.org. Online payments made on this site are posted based on the online payment transaction date/time. Taxpayers using their own financial institution’s online bill pay system need to initiate payment at least five working days prior to Dec. 31, 2016, to ensure it will be received by the Collector of Revenue on time. Again, technical difficulties on any online payment website do not extend the statutory deadline to pay without late payment interest and penalty.
Additional Tax Bill and Deadline Information
- If paying the tax bill in full is a financial burden, taxpayers have the option to make a partial payment before Dec. 31 to reduce the overall amount of statutory late payment interest and penalties. Partial payments can be made in person, via the Collector’s drop boxes at the County’s Administration Building, and online, and will be applied to the base, interest and penalty each time a payment is made. A receipt will be issued for each payment.
- During the year, the Collector of Revenue also accepts advance payments for future bills. For more information about partial and advance payments, visit sccmo.org/PartialAdvancePayments.
- To understand distribution of tax dollars, a list of political subdivisions that receive taxes is listed on the tax bill. The bills detail the allocation of taxes to these entities, including the state, schools, cities, fire districts, library, ambulance and emergency communications. 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 is given the tax rates to collect and is responsible for distributing the taxes collected to the political subdivisions.
- The assets listed on personal property tax bills include everything owned on Jan. 1 of the tax year. If items listed are incorrect, contact the Assessor’s office at 636-949-7420 or email persprop@sccmo.org.
- All real estate owners should 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 real estate (personally or from their escrow account).
- Payments for 2016 taxes received on or after Jan. 1, 2017, need to include late payment penalties and interest, which are listed on the bill.
- Failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of any tax liability imposed by state law. If you have not received a bill, or have other questions, please contact the Collector of Revenue at 636-949-7470.
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