Guilford County property owners who are late payers but not delinquent payers, have just paid their property taxes to the county – so, it would be nice if they could put property taxes out of their minds for a little while.

However, a recent press release from the Guilford County Tax Department reminds county property owners that Tuesday, Jan 2 is the time to start listing their taxable assets for 2024.

You have one month to reveal all.

“All persons and businesses in Guilford County are required by North Carolina law to list for taxation before midnight January 31, 2024, personal property owned on January 1, 2024,” the release reads. “Additions, improvements and/or deletions made to real property during 2023 (examples: aluminum or vinyl siding, central heat and/or air conditioning, storage buildings or detached garages and swimming pools) must also be listed with the Guilford County Tax Department. On-line and downloadable listings may be submitted in person, by mail or for listings of property used in connection with a business, electronically via an on-line listing system.”

The county’s tax collectors are quite serious about capturing all new and added value to homes and businesses each year – such as swimming pools, garages, decks, storage facilities or other newly built structures. – so much so that the county has a plane-based “eyes in the skies” program that photographs every inch of the county from the air and uses a computer program to find any new physical structures and changes to existing ones.

After the end of January, any unlisted property will be subject to discovery and penalty.

Personal property items – like boats, mobile homes, unregistered motor vehicles, airplanes, helicopters, and property used in connection with a business – are taxable as well and therefore need to be listed.

You don’t have to list your cars and trucks if they are annually licensed in North Carolina since property taxes for these vehicles are paid when license plates are renewed or acquired.  However, vehicles that don’t have a current North Carolina license plate – and vehicles owned and leased by public service companies – do need to be listed.

If you don’t receive a personal property listing form by Friday, Jan. 12, you should call the Guilford County Tax Department and request one. Listings that are turned in after January 31 or postmarked after that date will be subject to a penalty.

Business listings submitted electronically after May 15 will be subject to a penalty.

If you can’t pay your tax bill and need relief, some county residents can apply for reduced bills. The deadline for submission of applications for tax relief is June 3. Homeowners 65 and older, physically impaired homeowners, low-income owners and disabled honorably discharged veterans may qualify.

Applications for help with the bill  are online and available at the Tax Department.

If you need assistance listing your taxes, you can visit www.guilfordcountync.gov to find some answers, or you can call the following numbers:

Real Property questions: 336-641-4814

Individual personal property questions: 336-641-3320

Business Personal Property questions: 336-641-3345

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