I didn’t receive my real estate property tax statement. What should I do?
If your loan company is responsible for paying your real estate tax statement from an escrow account, your statement was requested by the loan company and you need not take any action.
May I pay real estate and personal property 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.
I received my real estate statement but my loan company is supposed to pay it; what should I do?
If your loan company is supposed to pay your taxes, they will contact us for a duplicate tax statement. You don’t need to worry about sending the bill you received to them. Contact your lender if you have any questions.
I bought my property in the middle of the year; why have I received a bill for the full year?
At the closing, you received a credit for the amount of tax the seller owed for the year. You are now responsible for the payment of taxes when they are due. If you believe that this does not apply in your case, take your closing statement to the real estate company which sold the property to you, and have them look at the papers with you. You can also speak to your lender.
Why is my bill so high?
The Assessor is required by state law to reassess the value of all real estate in the county every two years. Since the amount of tax you pay is based on the value of the property, the increase in real estate values is unavoidably reflected in the tax bill.
Why is someone else’s name on my statement?
Ownership information on real estate statements is current through September 1st. Property which has a change in ownership after that date will have the previous owner’s name on the statement. Your name will be listed as owner in the coming year. You still own the property, and you get credit for paying the taxes.
Why is only my spouse’s name on the statement?
The computer is set up to print only one name on the tax statement since many times two or more names will not fit in the address window of the envelope. If you have a question about how your property is deeded, feel free to contact the Phelps County Recorder of Deeds at 573-458-6090 or phelpscounty.org/directory/recorder-of-deeds/
Why is someone named Etal on my tax statement?
Etal is a phrase which means “and others.” It is used when there is not enough space to list all of the owners.
What is real estate tax?
Real estate tax is a tax which is based upon the value of real estate. Real estate, also known as real property, is defined as land and everything affixed or attached to the land. You should take an interest in the valuation of your property. The higher the value, the higher the tax. The assessed value of your property is printed on your tax statement. To determine what the Assessor believes the market value of your property to be, divide the assessed value by the adjustment factor (explained below). For residential property the formula is:
Assessed Value / .19 = Market Value
Who owes real estate tax?
Everyone who owns real estate (certain tax exempt organizations are an exception) within the county is responsible for the real estate taxes for the property they own.
Where do my taxes go?
School districts, municipalities (cities and towns), fire districts, the county, and several other entities receive revenue from this source
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 type of property being considered. The property types are agricultural property, commercial property and residential property. The adjustment factors are as follows:
- Agricultural Property 12%
- Commercial Property 32%
- Residential Property 19%
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.
How is the value of my property determined?
The County Assessor is the elected official charged with the responsibility of assessing the value of all real estate within the county. To do this, the Assessor uses several methods. First, the Assessor employs a number of appraisers who regularly spend time out in the community measuring and evaluating new construction, or reevaluating existing built-up areas on a planned basis. Second, the Assessor receives the help of citizens within the community by asking for current sales price information from recent property buyers. This is an extremely important part of the evaluation process because one of the most reliable appraisal methods is to determine the actual sales prices of comparable properties within the community. Third, the Assessor uses a computer program to group all of the properties in the county into comparable valuation groups called neighborhoods. Using this third method the Assessor is able to evaluate the properties which were not visited in person that tax year. Remember, the Assessor assesses your value. The Collector collects the amount received by the Assessor’s office. The Collector’s office does not determine value nor do we set the tax rates. If you have questions about tax rates and levies, please contact the Phelps County Clerk’s office.
When do I pay real estate taxes?
Real Estate tax bills are mailed in early November each year and must be paid by December 31st. Payments not postmarked by December 31 will incur late payment fees.