Taxpayers Urged to Pay Now and Avoid High Traffic Volume
Joe G. Tedder, CFC, Tax Collector for Polk County, advises taxpayers who have not paid their 2016 property taxes, to consider mailing in their property tax payments. That’s because Friday, March 31 is not only the end of the month, but it is the deadline for the timely payment of 2016 real estate and tangible personal property taxes, which makes it one of the busiest days in the Tax Collector's Service Centers.
“The end of the month is always a busy day in our Service Centers,” Tedder states, “and now with tax collector offices serving driver license customers and continuing to serve those individuals needing to renew their vehicle registrations, we are reminding the public that there are multiple ways to conduct their transaction without conducting a transaction in person.”
“If you don’t need to be in our lobbies, I urge you to ‘skip the trip’,” Tedder suggests, “especially if you can mail in your property tax payment. For those of you with March birthdays and have a simple vehicle registration renewal, I suggest that you avoid walking in as well, and instead consider doing your transaction online or by mail. We want the public to know that it is far quicker, easier and at the same cost, especially if you are like most of us and wait till the last day. You can still get your ‘sticker quicker’ by using the new ‘Express Pick-Up’ service.”
Express Pick-Up allows customers to go online to complete their transaction, select a Service Center where they can pick up their decal, and do it all the same day without waiting in line. Vehicle transactions conducted online may be made by credit card or E-check. E-checks are the same as personal checks drawn on taxpayers’ bank accounts, requiring a routing and checking account number but carrying no convenience fee.
To summarize, taxpayers have the following options of making property tax payments: online, by mail, or in person.
Mail-in payments should be addressed to Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector for Polk County, P.O. Box 1189, Bartow, Florida, 33831-1189. Mail-in payments may be made by way of a check or money order made payable to Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector. Checks must be in U.S. funds and drawn on U.S. banks. (Do not send cash through the mail.) Mail-in credit card payments are also accepted when accompanied by a credit card payment slip provided by the Tax Collector's Office. Taxpayers are reminded that when mailing in payments, the postmark on the envelope date-stamps the payment, and taxpayers can still mail their property tax payments as late as Friday, March 31 and avoid penalties and late charges.
Property tax payment transactions may also be conducted online at www.PolkTaxes.com using E-checks or credit cards. However, when paying online, by mail, or when visiting a Service Center and using a credit/debit card, a convenience fee of 2.5% is charged.
Finally, property tax payments may be paid in person or by placing payments in drop boxes located inside the Service Centers, and at the Winter Haven Tag Agency, located at 300 Avenue M, N.W., all of which are open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding weekends and observed holidays).
For additional information, or service center locations, please visit www.PolkTaxes.com or telephone the Tax Collector's Office at (863) 534-4700.