I didn’t receive my personal property tax statement. What should I do?
First, look up your account on this website. If a tax statement for this year does not exist, it means the Assessor did not receive an assessment form from you; you need to contact the Assessor’s office.
May I pay personal property and real estate taxes with a single check?
Yes, you may pay any combination and any number of real estate and personal property statements with a single check. Please be sure to double check your addition since we are unable to process payments written for the incorrect amount.
What forms of payment do you accept?
Online at tax.phelpscountycollector.com
- You can pay with checking account (e-check): Forte, the processor of your transaction, charges a fee of $1.50. This fee goes directly to Forte and is a convenience fee.
- You can pay with a credit or debit card, but there is a processing fee once again. It is 2.4%
- We do NOT keep or gain from the fee in any way. Missouri State Statutes do not allow us to pay that fee for you like for-profit retail establishments.
In Person
- We accept cash, cashier’s check, money orders, checks, credit/debit cards.
- The bank fees will apply to in-person credit and debit card transactions.
- There is an ATM in the lobby of the courthouse
Over the phone at 573-458-6150
You can call us during business hours and pay by your credit or debit card over the phone. There will be the 2.4% charge per transaction.
Installments
Installment Payment Option is available for Personal and Real estate
Why am I being taxed for a vehicle I no longer own?
Your tax is based on the vehicles you owned on January 1st of the tax year. Even if you no longer own the vehicles, you still pay the tax based on what you owned the first day of the year.
Why is my bill so high?
The amount of tax you owe each year is based on the value of the vehicles you owned on January 1st of that year. The assessed value of your vehicles is established by the county Assessor using a standard rate book. The assessed value of your vehicles is printed on the upper right-hand portion of your statement.
Why is my bill higher than my friend’s bill?
The tax you owe is based on the value of the vehicles you own, not the number of vehicles you own. It is common for a person with one more-expensive vehicle to owe more tax than a person with several less-expensive vehicles.
I am no longer a Missouri resident, do I still owe this tax?
Yes. By state law, your tax obligation is established on January 1st. Even if you move to a different state on January 2nd, you are still taxable for the year. Unfortunately, the law has no provision for the proration of the taxes due.
I mailed my payment, but I haven’t gotten my receipt. Did you receive my payment?
If you are anxious to receive your receipt, please mail your payment no later than December 1st. After that date, the volume of mail we receive is so large that it can take up to two weeks to process your payment.
What is taxable personal property?
Taxable personal property consists of motor vehicles, trailers, mobile homes, watercraft, boat motors, aircraft, livestock, farm machinery and equipment, agricultural crops, and any other personal property not exempted by law. Taxation of business enterprises is not included here because its complexity is beyond the scope of this explanation.
Who owes personal property tax?
See RSMO: 137.075
Every person owning or holding taxable personal property in Missouri on the first day of January, including all such property purchased on that day, shall be liable for taxes thereon during the same calendar year. This includes the property of non-residents whose property is held in Missouri, but does not include the property of non-residents whose property is regularly kept in another state, but just happens to be in Missouri on the first of January.
How much can I expect to pay?
Your tax is calculated by dividing the assessed value of your property by 100 and then multiplying that result by the tax levy. The formula looks like this:
(Assessed Value / 100) x Tax Levy.
What is assessed value?
Assessed value is a percentage of market value. In order to calculate the assessed value, multiply the market value by the adjustment factor which applies to the item of property being considered. The adjustment factors are as follows:
- 33 1/3% All property except that listed below
- 19% Mobile homes used as dwellings
- 0.05% Grain and other Agricultural Crops
- 12% Livestock and Poultry
- 12% Farm Machinery
- 5% Historic motor vehicles under 301.131 RSMO
- 5% Certain aircraft see section 137.115 RSMO
- (see laws) Certain business tools and equipment
What is a tax levy?
A levy is a tax rate, sometimes called a mill rate, which is set by each taxing district which derives a part of its revenue from property tax. Taxing districts cannot arbitrarily set the tax rate they charge, but instead must put the proposed rate to a vote of the residents living within that district. Once the levy rate has been approved by the voters it typically remains at that rate until another vote is taken.
The levy is the figure which is multiplied by the assessed value to arrive at the tax amount.