Property tax deadline drawing near

Published 12:00 am Saturday, November 23, 2013

Ad valorem property taxes are still being collected in Covington County, and with just over a month until the deadline, officials with the revenue commissioner’s office say things are right on track.

“I would say this is about normal,” Revenue Commissioner’s office chief clerk Dianne Thompkins said of the $3.1 million that has been collected so far in property taxes.

“We still have to collect almost $8.1 million. Most of our payments come in the last week of December or the first week of January.”

Thompkins said those payments received in January, after the Dec. 31 deadline, will not be charged a late fee as long as they are postmarked before the end of 2013; however, residents needing to pay taxes on registered mobile homes have a closer deadline to meet.

“People who owe ad valorem taxes on mobile homes, ones where the mobile home is on their own property, have until the end of December like everyone else,” Thompkins said. “But if mobile homes are registered and are not on that person’s property, they have to have their payments in before the end of December.”

Thompkins said those registered mobile homeowners who miss the Nov. 30 deadline will be subject to a $10 late fee.

Thompkins said people may make payments in person, or by mail, adding the option to pay by credit or debit card should be available in January.

Covington County Revenue Commissioner Janice Hart said her office billed $11,202,369 in taxes this year.

Hart said exemptions for this year have also been mailed out.

“The ones that we mail each year are for the people from the previous year. If someone is a new customer, or they are applying for the first time, they need to come into the office so we can get the forms right and get it set up.”

The revenue commissioner’s office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. When paying by mail, send the bill or bills and payment to “Revenue Commissioner, 1 North Court Square, Suite G, Andalusia, AL 36420.”

Residents should also bring their bills to the courthouse, in order to expedite the process.

Property taxes are distributed to the school systems, the county’s general fund and road/bridge fund, among other areas.