CREDIT-CARD TAX PAYMENTS SHOULD BE AVOIDED

Cape Girardeau County taxpayers should think twice before just saying "charge it" when paying their county taxes.

The county this year joined a growing number of Missouri counties that permit taxpayers to use credit cards to pay their taxes. But it can be a costly convenience.

First off, the county charges a 5 percent fee to those who pay with credit cards. The county doesn't get the money. The fee goes to a credit-card processing center. On a $1,000 tax bill, that amounts to $50. And, of course, at interest rates that can exceed 20 percent, the taxpayer will end up paying a hefty amount for taxes if the credit card bill isn't paid during the grace period.

On the other hand, there is a penalty for paying taxes late, beginning with a 7 percent charge on the amount owed as of Jan. 1. There is an added 2 percent charge for each month thereafter through the first nine months of the year.

Taxpayers who can't pay their taxes by the end of this year should consider all those extra costs before paying their county taxes with plastic.