St. Charles County Collector to Mail 2013 Tax Bills

November 22, 2013
Press Contact: Colene McEntee, Public Affairs Coordinator, 636.949.1864, cmcentee@sccmo.org

ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO - Over 306,000 tax bills will be mailed out before Thanksgiving, said Michelle McBride, St. Charles County Collector of Revenue. Real estate tax bills will reach mailboxes first, and personal property tax bills will follow. Bills are also available online at http://mo-stcharles-collector.publicaccessnow.com.

“When tax bills arrive, please look at the list of political subdivisions that receive the taxes you pay to understand where your tax dollars are going,” McBride said. “The bills detail the allocation of taxes to various entities, including the state, schools, cities, fire districts, library, ambulance, and dispatch and alarm.”

Each of the entities that receive a portion of the tax bill sets its own tax levy, known as the tax rate. The Collector of Revenue’s office is given the tax rates to collect and is responsible for distributing the taxes collected to the entities (also referred to as political subdivisions).

The assets listed on personal property tax bills should include everything owned on Jan. 1 of the tax year. All real estate owners should also receive a real estate tax bill(s). In addition to the owner of the real estate parcel(s) receiving bill(s), taxing services and mortgage companies receive an Electronic Bill File from the Collector of Revenue for use in paying from escrow accounts. Payment of the full tax amount is the responsibility of the current owner of the personal property and/or real estate (personally or from their escrow account).

Tax bills can be paid by cash (in person only), check/cashier’s check/money order (payable to Michelle D. McBride, St. Charles County Collector), credit card (by phone or online only), or debit card (by phone or online only). Taxpayers have several ways to pay: · In person: Tax payments are accepted in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the St. Charles County Administration Building, 201 N. Second Street, St. Charles, first floor. There is also a drop box located on N. Second Street in front of the County’s Administration Building.

· By mail: Send to Michelle D. McBride, Collector of Revenue, 201 N. Second St., Room 134, St. Charles, MO 63301. Please do not send cash payments by mail. Mailed payments are accepted as of the United States Post Office postmark date.

· By phone: Call 1.800.272.9829,enter jurisdiction code 3513, and follow the prompts.

· Online: Visit http://mo-stcharles-collector.publicaccessnow.com, click on the Real Estate Search and/or Property Search buttons or tabs, and follow the instructions to access and pay your bill. Online payments are posted based on the online payment transaction date/time. Taxpayers who want to use their own financial institution’s online bill pay system need to initiate their payment at least five working days prior to Dec. 31, 2013, to ensure payment will be received by the Collector of Revenue’s office on time.

Payments for 2013 taxes received on or after Jan. 1, 2014, are subject to late payment penalty and interest as required by state law. McBride encourages taxpayers to pay early to avoid any last minute issues. Failure to receive a bill does not relieve the taxpayer of any tax liability imposed by state law.

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