Late taxpayers discover waiting doesn't pay

The due date to pay last year's personal property taxes on time has come and gone, but the sooner tardy taxpayers hand over the money, the better it will be for them, said Cape Girardeau County Collector Diane Diebold.

Dec. 31 was the last day to pay taxes without incurring penalties and interest charges. Despite notices that are sent out, Diebold said every year about 10 percent of taxes are delinquent.

Brenda Johnson of Jackson was among those residents who waited until the last day to pay their taxes.

"It's really just a matter of not getting them in the mail," said Johnson. "First the weather was bad, then the holidays. A variety of circumstances."

A 2-percent interest charge is applied at the beginning of each month taxes are late, on top of an initial 7-percent penalty fee. Diebold said by the end of February, most have been paid.

"We're steep -- worse than credit cards," Diebold said. "The sooner they get it paid, the less it will cost them."

On Tuesday alone, the county collector's office received more than 1,300 pieces of mail -- the bulk of which were last-minute tax payments.

With only a five-minute wait, the line leading to the collector's office Tuesday wasn't bad at all.

John Wright of Jackson said he didn't have an excuse for waiting until the 31st, because he does it every year.

"I just don't think about it. I always wait until the last day," said Wright. "But I was glad to see the lines weren't that long today."

According to Diebold, the same couldn't be said for Monday, when there was a 30-minute wait and the line stretched from the collector's office down a long hallway and back to the elevator.

Diebold said those who wait until the last few days to pay are generally small-business owners, people with rental property and people trying to get licenses renewed.

"And then there's always those who just can't afford to pay at this time of the year," Diebold said.

Diebold said around 25 percent of people in Cape Girardeau County prefer to pay their taxes in person rather than mail them.

"Some of them need a receipt immediately, and others just don't want to take a chance on it getting lost in the mail," Diebold said.

cclark@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 128