The Greene County Collector is reminding taxpayers that the deadline to pay personal property and real estate taxes is approaching.
Tax statements went out around Thanksgiving, said Allen Icet.
If you haven’t received one, he said, you can go to countycollector.com to view or print your statement and to pay online or contact his office via email. That email address is collectorhelp@greenecountymo.gov.
"If they haven't received something in the mail that does not relieve them from paying the bill," said Icet. "Some people think, 'well, if I don't have a bill, I don't have to pay,' and that's not what state statute says."
The deadline to pay taxes is December 31. As of January 1, if someone hasn’t paid they will incur a nine percent penalty charge and a two percent interest charge.
Icet encourages people to pay early to avoid any problems. For instance, he said, if the website crashes on December 31 because too many people are trying to pay online, taxpayers who can’t finish paying will face a penalty.
"Because state statute does not relieve the taxpayer from penalty and interest if something goes wrong," said Icet.
Those who pay by mail close to the deadline should go into the post office and watch the clerk postmark the envelope. Dropping payment in a blue US Postal Service box will not ensure the envelope is postmarked by December 31.
And he reminded residents that the deadline this year falls on a Saturday, so if you want to pay in person at his office you’ll need to do so by Friday, December 30.
