Time to pay taxes

FROM STAFF REPORTS

July 17, 2008 11:40 pm

— Taxpayers beware, the deadline to pay the first installment of your 2008 Howard County property tax is today.
To avoid a penalty for late payment, payments must be postmarked by today at the latest.
To facilitate payment, the Howard County Treasurer’s Office is offering a number of locations where payments are accepted.
Billing notices were sent from the Treasurer’s Office on June 25 and 27. Treasurer Martha Lake stressed that “if you own property in Howard County and for some reason you did not receive a bill, the first installment of tax is still due on July 18.”
Full or partial payments are acceptable; penalties will be added to unpaid tax immediately following the deadline.
If paid within 30 days of the due date, the penalty is 5 percent of the taxes not paid by the deadline. Taxpayers with a previous unpaid balance, or who fail to pay the entire amount owed within 30 days after the deadline, are subject to larger penalties.
The year’s second property tax installment will be due Nov. 10.
Here are the ways to pay:
• The treasurer’s office at 226 N. Main St. Cash and checks are acceptable. Payments can also be made using a credit/debit card, however a 3 percent convenience fee will be added.
• Mail to the treasurer’s office at 226 N. Main St., Kokomo, IN 46901. Include a self-addressed/stamped envelope to receive a paid receipt, or pick up your receipt in person at the office at a later date.
• Drop payments in the office drop box located in the first floor lobby of the Howard County Administration Center, 224 N. Main St., Kokomo.
• Online payments may be made through the county’s Web site, www.co.howard.in.us, with a convenience fee of 3.75 percent. Card service is outsourced to PayGov. The county receives no profit from the convenience fees.
• Pay at a branch of one of the following banks: Harris Bank, Community First Bank, Central Bank, Star Financial Bank, National City Bank or First Farmers Bank.
In addition, contact these county offices in the Howard County Administration Center (the gold building at Mulberry and Main streets) for tax information:
• Treasurer’s Office, (765) 456-2213
• Auditor’s Office, (765) 456-2215
• Assessor’s Office, (765) 456-2211
• Center Township Assessor’s Office, (765) 456-2226
County offices are open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“Homesteaders received a pleasant surprise when they opened their tax bills this year; for others in the community the experience has not been as positive,” Lake said. “The staff in the Treasurer’s Office appreciates the courtesy extended to us by our county friends, and we encourage all those with questions or concerns to contact the county offices for help.”