Have you remembered to pay your property taxes? New online payment options are available

Oct. 13, 2005

Have you remembered to pay your property taxes? New online payment options are available

Property owners in King County are reminded that October 31 is the deadline for payment of 2005 second-half property taxes in order to avoid interest and penalties.

King County has also expanded the features of its eTax application, which allows residents to make property tax payments over the Internet. Since February 2005, taxpayers have been able to pay their real estate property taxes online using an automatic debit from their checking account called an "echeck." Starting on October 10, the county expanded the echeck service to personal property taxes and began accepting online credit card payments for both real estate and personal property taxes. Eligible credit cards include VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover Card.

"The ability to provide our residents with convenient, reliable and secure ecommerce services has been an important goal of my administration. Based on positive feedback we received this spring from residents who paid their property taxes using the echeck feature, accepting credit cards is a logical extension to our payment alternatives. Beginning this fall, personal property tax data will also be available online which means that a resident can view their tax account and pay either real estate taxes or personal property taxes online," Executive Sims said.

Whether paying using the echeck or credit card option, taxpayers receive immediate payment confirmation and do not have to worry about postal delivery problems with their payments.

To review the online payment options or view property tax information, taxpayers should go to the following web link: http://www.metrokc.gov/finance/treasury/kctaxinfo/.

It is important to remember that there are processing fees associated with online payments. Taxpayers who pay via echeck may pay an unlimited number of accounts online for only 95 cents. Credit card payment convenience fees are typically 2½ percent of the payment amount. For example, a $1,000 tax payment would incur an additional $25 fee. These fees are charged pursuant to Washington State law, RCW 36.29.190, which prohibits the county from absorbing any processing costs or fees for electronic payments involving property taxes. The county does not receive any part of the processing fee; these fees go directly to the financial institutions offering the echeck and credit card services.
Delinquent taxes bear interest at 12 percent per annum (1 percent of the delinquent amount is added on the first day of each month). If the current tax is not fully paid by November 30, 2005, (one month after the second-half payment deadline), a penalty of 8 percent of the tax is added on December 1. This is in addition to the 3 percent penalty added if the first-half tax payment was not made by May 31 (one month after the April 30 first-half payment deadline). These penalties can bring the total interest and penalty on taxes delinquent for an entire year to 23 percent.

Taxpayers are cautioned that failure to receive a tax statement does not eliminate their responsibility to timely pay taxes or any delinquency charges. Taxpayers who purchased or refinanced their property in the past year and are not sure whether they or their lender is responsible for paying the property taxes should verify tax payment responsibility with their lender.

Taxpayers who have not received statements or require tax payment information are urged to contact King County Treasury Operations via the tax information Web site at http://www.metrokc.gov/finance/treasury/kctaxinfo/, or call an automated voice system, at 206-296-0923. Taxpayers using the Web site or automated voice system need to have their tax account/parcel number to access the data. Taxpayers may also call a customer service representative, at 206-296-3850, but should be aware that their call wait may be long due to the high number of calls during tax payment periods.

Information on senior citizen exemption and deferral programs can be obtained from the King County Assessor's Office, at 206-296-3920.

Tax payments may be made by mail (payment envelopes are provided with the property tax statements) or in person at Room 600 -- Treasury Operations, King County Administration Building, 500 Fourth Avenue, Seattle, 98104, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Mailed payments must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2005, to avoid the addition of interest. Taxpayers should be sure to include the second half property tax statement when paying by mail and include the property tax account number on their check or money order. Cash should not be sent through the mail.

In addition, tax payments made by check only and in the exact amount due may be paid at the community service centers listed below. Since the operating hours for these locations vary, taxpayers should call to determine when they are open.

Black River Community Service Center
900 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton, WA
Telephone number: 206-296-7810
Cottage Lake Community Service Center
19145 NE Woodinville-Duvall Rd., Woodinville, WA
Telephone number: 206-296-2733
Kent Regional Justice Center – Licensing Office
401 Fourth Avenue North, #1A, Kent, WA
Telephone number: 206-205-7330
Northshore Community Service Center
10808 NE 145th St., Bothell, WA
Telephone number: 206-296-9840
Samammish Community Service Center
482 – 228th Ave. NE, Sammamish, WA
Telephone number: 206-205-8380
Vashon Island Community Service Center – Courthouse Square
19021 Vashon Hwy, Vashon, WA
Telephone number: 206-296-4510