January 29, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
The Trustee’s Office will be a busy place for the next month as taxpayers rush to beat the February 28 deadline to pay their 2018 county property taxes.
As of Monday, Trustee Sean Driver said 48.92% has been collected of the $9,127,983 in 2018 DeKalb County property taxes to be collected by February 28, 2019 which includes property, residential, commercial, personal, and public utility taxes.
In a report to the County Commission Monday night, Driver said collections are lagging behind last year’s collection rate of 54.21% but that is most likely because people are holding on to their money longer due to changes in the tax laws on standard deductions.
Although the tax base aggregate generated through county assessments is up from $9.06 million last year, Trustee Driver said the county saw a drop of $29,000 in the public utility taxes derived through the state. He also reported that assets and liabilities are in balance at $25,240, 983 on all departments.
Property taxes are now due and payable through February 28, 2019 before any interest becomes due on March 1, 2019.
The Trustee’s office offers up to 6 different options to pay your property tax:
( 1.) Come in person to the office to pay. The Trustee’s office is open from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
( 2.) Mail in your payment
( 3.) Pay online at www.tennesseetrustee.org, then select DeKalb and follow the instructions to the next screens. The Vendor (Business Information Systems) accepts Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or American Express. The Vendor convenience fee of 2.75% on the total tax bill will apply and fees are subject to change for using credit/debit cards. Also, a $2.75 fee will be assessed on an e-check payment of any amount. Business Information Systems collects the fees, not DeKalb County.
(5.) A dropbox is located on the outside of the building at the County Complex (County Offices Section) for your convenience after hours or on weekends. Remember on the last day, February 28 if you can’t make it to the post office to postmark your payment, the dropbox is available. If you choose to make use of the dropbox on February 28, the mail will be gathered on Friday, March 1 and no interest will be applied your 2018 tax bill.
(6.) Partial Payments are accepted in any amount but portions unpaid after the February 28 deadline will accrue a 1.5% interest per month starting March 1, 2019.
Driver further explained that any 2017 property taxes still owed after February 28 will be turned over to the Chancery Court on April 1, 2019 for collection. The Trustee’s office can still accept partial payments on 2017 delinquent taxes through March 31, 2019. The Trustee will make one more notice on the unpaid 2017 delinquent property taxes on February 1, 2019.
Eligible taxpayers may also qualify for the Tennessee State Tax Relief Program.
This program was implemented in 1973 and it has a few changes every year. For the 2018 tax year, you can qualify for Tax Relief if:
(a.) Your DeKalb County home is your primary residence,
(b.) You are 65 years old (or older) as of December 31, 2018, or totally and permanently disabled as by the SSA or another qualifying agency, and
(c.) Your 2017 Annual Income of all persons on the deed and their spouses did not exceed $29,270.00.
“If the State of Tennessee qualifies you for a Tax Relief, then you can receive a rebate up to $118.00 for 2018. You must pay your 2018 tax bill IN FULL to start the application,” Trustee Driver explained.
The State of Tennessee also offers Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans and the surviving spouses of a disabled veteran.
“You must provide proof from the Veteran’s Administration that you have a 100% service-connected disability. You or your spouse will NOT have to report any income to apply as a disabled veteran or the widow or widower of a disabled veteran. If the State of Tennessee qualifies you as a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, then you can receive a rebate up to $745.00”
“The Trustee’s office is accepting applications for the Tax Relief Program through April 5, 2019. If you would like to inquire more about a possible tax relief, come by the County Complex in the Trustee’s office at 732 S Congress Blvd-Room 103, Smithville, TN 37166 or call us at 615-597-5176,” Trustee Driver concluded.