2008 TAX BILLS ARE IN THE MAIL

Residents in Richmond County should begin receiving their property tax bills this week beginning August 4th.

More than 33,000 bills were mailed out by the Richmond County Tax Office for property taxes, which are due on Sept. 1 and past due on Jan. 6.

Owners who pay their bills in full during the month of August will save a little money, thanks to a 1 percent discount approved by the Board of Commissioners. Employees of the Tax Office have been trying to spread the word on the discount, so that more people will take advantage of the offer.

In addition to receiving a discount for paying early, taxpayers will have the option of paying their taxes online or by simply picking up the phone.

WAYS TO PAY ELECTRONICALLY

Pay your taxes online by visiting Official Payment’s Website, located at www.officialpayments.com. Payments accepted include cards issued by American Express, Discover, MasterCard or VISA, or ATM pin-less debit cards with the VISA or MasterCard logo.

To pay by electronic check, visit www.officialpayments.com/echeck.

To pay by phone, call 800-272-9829. When prompted, use the Richmond County Jurisdiction Code, which is 4400. It’s extremely important for residents to provide their phone number when paying online or by phone, and to retain the confirmation number they are given after paying.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS PROCESSOR

Official Payments charges a convenience fee for processing the payment transaction. For those who opt to pay by electronic check, the fee is $3 for each payment under $10,000. Around three percent is charged by the vendor for processing credit cards. Customers will be informed of all charges and fees prior to authorizing payment.

The transaction fee is not charged by or paid to Richmond County Government. The convenience fee is assessed to cover operating costs and the costs associated with servicing thousands of credit card transactions.

For detailed information about Official Payments, please download this document.   Questions and Answers on Paying Your Taxes Electronically

OTHER PAYMENT OPTIONS

Any resident unable to pay their taxes in full by Jan. 6 may make partial payments beginning this month. The Tax Office will work with individuals who need to make payments throughout the year; however, a payment agreement must be reached prior to the past due date of Jan. 6. It is the responsibility of the property owner to make monthly payments on time. Failure to do so will void the agreement and begin the process of collection enforcement.

Once any bill starts to accrue interest, bank attachments are performed first, followed by wage garnishments, foreclosures and other remedies allowed by law.

Delinquent taxes create an extra burden for all taxpayers. Unpaid taxes amount to lost revenue needed to pay for County services.

The Tax Collection staff is more than willing to answer any questions, and may be contacted by calling 997-8270. The office is located on the first floor of the Courthouse, located in downtown Rockingham.