Property Owners Get Extra Day to Pay Taxes
April 8, 2011 - Orange County Register
Attention Orange County property taxpayers: You get an extra day this year to pay the second installment of what’s owed!
April 10 is the traditional due date for the money, but because this year that day falls on a Sunday, the deadline has moved to Monday! (With roughly three of every $10 due still outstanding, the extra day may come in handy!)
So far this fiscal year, property tax collections look to be on the rise. New Treasurer-Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich, tells us that as of April 7…
- First installment collections — those due back in December — are $2.35 billion, or 98.2% of what was due. That’s $38.18 million — or 1.13 percentage points — better than collections in the same time a year earlier.
- As for those second installments due Monday, O.C. has taken in $1.64 billion, or 68.9% of what’s due. That’s $57.76 million — or 2.08 percentage points — better than the same time a year ago.
- Overall? Total collections, O.C. are $3.99 billion, or 83.6% of what’s owed. That’s $95.95 million — or 1.6 percentage points — better than the same time a year ago.
Freidenrich says it’s still early to identify all the trends behind the payment improvements, but, “with the number of foreclosures and short sales, I believe that we are probably getting more payment in from mortgage companies. These companies would not be waiting till the last moment like an individual taxpayer and therefore this may be a factor in higher levels.”
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Venezia - How to Make Tax Time A Little More Bearable
April 8, 2011 - Orange County Register
It's that time of the year when taxes are on everyone's mind. And on Monday, the second installment of property taxes is due. This has been extended one day because April 10 is a Sunday.
This year I decided to pay my property tax online at the county's website ocgov.org. It was surprisingly easy. You have the option of paying by checking, savings account, debit or credit card.
If you're cutting things close this tax season, credit card payments offer a bit more convenience and speed as you can even phone in a payment at 714-834-3411 last minute, but they do charge a 2.5 percent fee.
Checking and savings online payments don't post immediately. Depending on your bank, payment could take a few days to hit. Late fees here can be expensive. According to the website, after Sunday, a "10% penalty is added to unpaid accounts thereafter, plus cost of $10 per bill."
If you're mailing taxes it's smart to use registered mail. All mail must be postmarked no later than Monday.
Since property taxes are split into two payments, I asked OC Treasurer -Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich why the site doesn't allow pre-programmed payments like other tax sites. She hadn't been asked that before, but she said she thought it was a good idea and would look into it. Shari reminded me that taxpayers can sign up for email payment reminders on the county's site too.
Read full article here. 