COUNTY TAXES ARE DUE: PAY NOW OR PAY MORE

Christmas is over, and the new year is just around the corner. That means it's nearly tax time.

As of Tuesday, about one-third of Cape Girardeau County's 1991 personal property and real estate taxes were paid. That means just over $6 million of the $17 million in county real estate and personal property taxes due year have been collected. That's about par for the course. The real rush will come today through Tuesday as county residents try to meet the Dec. 31 deadline.

It's important that county residents pay their taxes on time. That's because county officials will begin distributing December collections to the schools and other taxing entities in early January.

Typically about 94 to 95 percent of taxes are paid on time in Cape Girardeau County. However, recessionary times may reduce that figure this year.

But delinquent taxpayers will find that interest and penalties can add up fast. State law requires that counties charge 2 percent interest each month, beginning Jan. 2. An additional 2 percent penalty is levied. That means on Jan. 1, your tax bill will already cost 4 percent more. The interest continues to build through September. By then, delinquent taxpayers will face 18 percent interest and 2 percent penalty. If the taxes remain unpaid for a second year, the interest and penalties could build as high as 38 percent.

Just over half of the county taxes will be paid by mail, with the bulk arriving today and Saturday. The rest will be paid in person either at the Jackson or Cape Girardeau offices. Those offices will be open for special Saturday hours this weekend, from 8 a.m. until noon.

The number of mail-in customers has increased in recent years. It's a good way to beat the lines that will plague the collector's offices during these last few days of the year.

But there are a few things that those who pay their taxes by mail should keep in mind.

For those planning to mail their bills New Year's Eve, remember that only those letters mailed by 6 p.m. will be postmarked that day, according to the postal service. Exceptions have been made in the past, but the new processing center requires stricter adherence to these deadlines. The only exception will be made on April 15 federal income tax day, said local postal officials. And that postmark is important. It determines the amount of penalty and interest delinquent taxpayers will be assessed.

The great bulk of mail that arrives late in the month also means slow going in January for county collector staffs processing payments. In other words, if you need a paid receipt to get your car licenses in January, it's better to brave the lines and pay in person.

An old adage says there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. You can add a third thing to that list: For those who can't meet the Dec. 31 deadline, the cost of paying your taxes goes up.