July 9, 2009

The notices will be mailed with a courtesy return envelope for taxpayers to use to return payments to the Catawba County Tax Collector. Taxes will be due on September 1, 2009 and delinquent after Tuesday, January 5, 2010. Advance payments or payment arrangements may be made prior to September 1, 2009. Delinquent taxes will be subject to a 2% interest penalty for the month of January 2010, and a 3/4ths of 1% penalty for each following month.

Beginning on July 8, 2009, taxpayers can find the amount of tax due online through the County's Tax Bill Search. Citizens may click on the link and enter his or her full name. They will then see a separate entry for each type of tax bill due and should click on the words “Go To Abstract Summary” for more information.

Citizens may pay their taxes online, if they wish. They will need to use an abstract number shown on the Tax Bill Search page in order to make payments, through the County's Online Tax Payments link.

The notices to be mailed on July 14 contains information regarding tax procedures and definitions which apply to property taxes. The address of the County Tax Office appears at the top of the form, along with explanations regarding the due and past due dates for payment; the consequences for those who do not pay by January 5, 2010; how taxpayers may pay in installments; and special information for escrow and mortgage accounts. In the middle section of the notice, the account number, bill number, due and past due dates are clearly printed, along with the Property Identification Number (PIN), location of the property, acreage and parcel information. A brief description of listed personal property is also included in this section.

The value of the property is shown on a separate part of the notice. Just below the parcel information, the tax rate for Catawba County (53.5 cents per $100 of property valuation for fiscal year 2009-2010) and for a municipality, if the property lies in a town or city, is shown. Fire district tax rates, if they apply, are also noted. The amount due to both the County and a municipality is broken down, and the total amount due is clearly indicated.

A separate insert will again be placed in with tax bills this year, with one side showing how local sales and property tax revenues were allocated in the County’s fiscal year 2009-2010 budget and the reserve side reminding citizens of the many ways they can access news and information about Catawba County, including the web site at www.catawbacountync.gov, the County’s Facebook page, Twitter feeds, the Community Alert System and the County’s E-News newsletter.

For more information on the mailing of Catawba County property tax notices and payment options, you may contact the Catawba County Tax Office at 828-465-8414 or at the County Tax Office web site.