You no doubt just spent a lot of money buying Christmas presents and celebrating the season, but Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis and his army of tax collectors hope you saved enough to pay your property tax bill before the deadline – which falls on the fast-approaching Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
By now, a majority of county taxpayers who owe the county money have paid up. In many cases, they took advantage of a 0.5 percent discount for early payers. However, January 5 is the date by which, if you don’t pay up, the county’s tax collectors will be in touch, eventually.
And they’ll want penalties and interest in addition to the original amount owed.
The Guilford County Tax Department consistently has one of the highest collection rates in the state and the department is very serious about collecting all the taxes from those who owe. Chavis has said numerous times that collecting from everyone who owes is a matter of “fairness” to other taxpayers.
A reminder posted by the Tax Department on Guilford County’s website states: “All persons and businesses in Guilford County are required by North Carolina law to pay their local property taxes before midnight, January 5, 2023. This deadline applies to taxes on all real property and on all classes of personal property EXCEPT vehicles licensed in North Carolina.”
After January 5, the department may use forcible collection methods such as garnishment of wages.
Property tax payments may be made in person at the Guilford County Tax Collection Center at 400 W. Market St. in Greensboro or at the Governmental Complex at 325 East Russell Avenue in High Point. If you do that with a credit or debit card you’ll be hit with extra charges. “Point of sale,” – that is, in-person payments with a credit or debit card are charged a processing fee of 2.35 percent of the transaction amount.
The Tax Department states that everyone should call 336-641-3363 before visiting to ensure the offices are open.
There are also drop boxes at both the Greensboro and High Point offices.
In addition, you can mail your payment directly to the department’s processing facility in Charlotte at:
Guilford County Tax Department
P.O. Box 71072
Charlotte, NC 28272-1072
You may also pay your taxes online by eCheck, or with a credit or debit card – American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa – at https://my.guilfordcountync.gov/ .
If you want to pay in a really modern way like all the cool kids are doing, you can pay on your smartphone through the myGuilfordCounty app, available at the Apple app store or at the Google Play app store.
Then there’s also the pay-by-phone option by calling 336-203-7795.
There will be a “processing fee” of 1.85% of the transaction amount plus a $2 charge for online or telephone payments by credit or debit cards. If paying by eCheck online, there will be a processing fee of $1.25 per transaction amount plus a $2 transaction fee.
Recently the Tax Department also reminded property owners that they need to list any property improvements and new real property by Tuesday, Jan. 31.
You think our property taxes and spend-it-all-and-more local Democrat City and Country Govt are evil?
Have you read about the new property tax rates (confiscation) in Chicago and Cook County? Little Portland has gotten their clue.
So the most economical way to pay your bill is with an old fashioned paper cheque, stuffed in an old fashioned paper envelope, pasted with an old fashioned sticky stamp.
You can keep your debit cards; they just let the banks skim off the top 3 per cent for themselves. It’s a rip.
A man after my own heart.
I salute you sir.
Cheers!
And Happy New Year!
Next year will be the real test for Chavis & Co when the stepped up taxes based on revaluation are due. Thinking the tax department will be spending a bit of time in court getting judgements .