The deadline to pay your real estate and personal property taxes in Greene County is not too far away. And the Greene County Collector’s Office wants to be sure you know how to do it and how to avoid any late fees.
Collector Allen Icet said there are four ways you can pay. There’s the old-fashioned way: Mailing in a check to 940 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO 65802. You can also walk the payment into the Collector’s Office in Room 109 of the Historic Greene County Courthouse. There’s an online payment option where you can pay by eCheck at no charge. Using a credit card carries a 2% charge and using a debit card has a 1.5% charge. And new this year – you can pay by phone at 888-523-0054.
You’ll need to know your tax i.d. and pin, and those can be found by clicking on the green button on the collector’s website. Those can also be found on your tax statement when it arrives in the mail in the coming days.
Icet said this year, for the first time, his office will send emails with tax information to everyone that has an email on file. The email, he said, will be coming from collector@greenecountymissouri.com. If you don’t receive an email and would like to receive one, contact the collector’s office.
Icet said, if you haven’t received your tax statement in the mail by Thanksgiving, to call his office.
County Assessor Brent Johnson said there are still more than 17,000 property owners who haven’t returned their assessment lists, which were mailed to Greene County residents in January. You can check to see if yours was received by clicking on the yellow button on the assessor’s website.
"It will tell you if you received your assessment, if we have not received it or if it was returned by the mail," he said.
There are around 3,000 that have been returned by mail that they cannot find a correct address for, according to Johnson.
Even if you don’t receive a statement due to not returning the assessment or for another reason, Icet said, if you own property, you owe taxes.
"Some people unfortunately believe that if you don't — if I don't receive a tax statement, I therefore do not owe the bill," he said. "That is not correct. Even if you don't receive your statement, by statute you are still liable to pay."
Those who don’t pay by December 31 will face a 9% penalty and a 2% interest charge.
Icet urged people not to wait until the last minute. If you drop the payment in a U.S. Postal Service mailbox at the last minute, and it doesn’t get processed until after December 31, you will face a late fee.
December 31 is on a Sunday this year, and, only online payments will be accepted on that day. The collector’s office will be closed on December 30 and 31. Mailed payments can be taken to a post office on December 30, but Icet urges people to take it inside – don’t drop it in a mailbox.
If you have a question for the collector’s office, the best way to ask it is by email to collectorhelp@greenecountymo.gov.
Senate Bill 190, which will prevent property taxes for seniors from increasing as assessment values rise, has not yet been implemented. Icet is serving on a task force that is looking into several issues that must be addressed first, he said.
