Scott County tax bills get update

BENTON, Mo. -- This year's tax bill will look a bit different for Scott County residents.

"This year what we have done is integrated a cover sheet, a summary sheet, with the tax bill. You can pay directly off of that summary sheet if you are paying all of your tax bills at once," said Mark Hensley, Scott County collector of revenue. "We can scan that one sheet and process them all at one time rather than individually like we had to do in the past."

This summary does not include real estate properties for which the tax is escrowed into a mortgage payment, Hensley said.

But for those who own several pieces of real estate with taxes that are not escrowed, this new feature should prove to be very helpful, he said.

"If you have personal property and four pieces of real estate, for example, you would still get individual statements, but with the new system we have implemented, there will be an itemized listing of what you have and that is all combined on the cover sheet," Hensley said. "You can still pay those bills one at a time if you like or you can send in the cover sheet and we can process all of it off of that."

Things will also be easier on the collector department's staff.

"This will help the speed of processing as we no longer have to look up your individual properties on our end," Hensley said. "We've incorporated an ID number for each taxpayer."

This identification number is a benefit to those who have taxes due as an individual and for a business they own as a business can be a taxpayer with its own ID number.

"We can cross reference using that ID and can group all the taxpayer's properties together," Hensley said.

Because of property sales made after the county assessor has closed out tax rolls, property can possibly end up on the wrong person's bill.

"I still suggest you look over each individual statement and make sure you received all of the tax bills you owe -- please look at all of them," Hensley said. "Double-check your statements to make sure what you own is on there. Look over the vehicles to make sure they have the correct years."

Scott County residents should see their tax bills soon if they haven't already received it as they were mailed out Thursday and Friday.

"They are out now -- they are in the mail," Hensley said.

Residents of New Madrid and Mississippi counties should also have their tax bills in hand soon.

"They are going out this weekend," E. Dewayne Nowlin, collector of revenue for New Madrid County, said last week.

"They are in the mail and we are already having payments," said Ann McCuiston, Mississippi County collector.

The New Madrid County tax bills are "the same as last year," Nowlin said. Mississippi County residents will also see the same type of bill as for 2011 as both of these counties use the same mainframe-based software -- but this year will be the last as that system will no longer be supported as of Jan. 1.

Next year, when the counties will both use the same new web-based software, tax bills "will be completely different," McCuiston said.

"We will be learning a whole new software," Nowlin said. "It's got a lot of things that it can do. The most important thing is getting all the data transferred and making sure it runs smoothly. But it's going to offer a few bells and whistles I don't have right now."

"Just make sure if you haven't received your bill by Thanksgiving, to call us," Nowlin said. "And contact us if there are any address changes that need to be made."

The collectors reminded taxpayers that not receiving a bill does not relieve them of the responsibility of paying their bill.

"If you don't receive your tax bill by the end of November, definitely do call and we will make sure you get it because they are due by Dec. 31," Hensley said. "Anything paid after Dec. 31 will have interest and penalties."

Pertinent address:

Benton, Mo.

New Madrid, Mo.

Charleston, Mo.