We are busy in the tax office preparing for the upcoming billing cycle. We anticipate mailing bills for the 2012 Grand List at the end of June. The first installment will be due July 1, 2013 and will become delinquent if not paid on or before August 1, 2013. A postmark is acceptable, however, if you are mailing on the last day, we suggest you get your envelope hand cancelled.
If you disposed of a motor vehicle after October 1, 2012 and did not transfer your plate to a new vehicle, we can probably reduce your bill. If you have your plate receipt from DMV and a second form of proof that shows what you did with the vehicle, please forward that information to the assessor's office and, if we can, we will adjust your bill before we mail it.
If you still have an open balance on previously billed taxes, please call the tax office if you are unsure how much of a penalty to include. If you receive a statement and a payment has crossed in the mail, please remit the difference as we will not be re-billing you for the balance.
If you are sending a check, please be sure of the following: you are paying the correct installment, both the numeric and written portions are the same, the check is dated and the check is signed. If you are paying on-line through you bank, please be sure to reference a current account number. Your attention to detail is appreciated.
Current year tax bills can be paid utilizing our on-line system for a small fee at www.mcc.net. Accounts with prior list year taxes due can not utilize the on-line payment system.
As always, if you are unable to pay in full, please send payments to keep the amount of interest paid as low as possible.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Tax Collector's office is responsible for the billing and collection of Town and Fire District taxes and all related penalties. Its mission is to assist in maintaining the fiscal stability of the Town and Fire District by ensuring the timely collection and recording of all taxes through the diligent application of the State Statutes, Town Ordinances, regulations and other enforcement aids, while assisting the public in understanding the taxation process and procedures and maintaining an effective and cordial relationship with the general public.
GENERAL INFORMATION
The Tax Collector is also responsible for reporting fiscal information to various Town departments and boards, the Barkhamsted Fire District, the State of Connecticut and the United States Bureau of the Census.
The first installment of real estate and personal property bills becomes due July 1, 2013. Also due will be the motor vehicle bills for vehicles that were owned as of October 1, 2012. This year the last day to pay will be Wednesday, August 1, 2013. For payments that are mailed, we have to go by the postmark per state statutes.
If you receive a bill or a delinquent tax statement that you believe to be an error, please contact us immediately. Also, if you are unable to what you owe in full, partial payments are encouraged to reduce the interest that accrues. Just a note: the late penalty is set by State Statutes and can not be waived by the Tax Collector.
The Tax Collector's office is located on the lower level of the Barkhamsted town hall at 67 Ripley Hill Road (Route 318). Please review the office hours as the tax office is considered to be part-time by the Selectman and the Board of Finance.
When paying by check, always double check your math and be sure the written and numeric portions are the same and that your check is signed. If you prefer to pay on-line, you have that option by going to: www.mcc.net. You can pay by ACH or credit card. There is a small fee for the ACH option and, if you pay by credit card, the fees charged by the credit card company will be added to your payment. THIS IS NOT A FREE SERVICE.
Barkhamsted tax bills contain both the Town tax and the Fire District tax. The combined mill rate for the grand list of October 1, 2012 is 25.69 mills. The Town portion is 24.26 mills and the Fire District portion is 1.43 mills. $1,000 of assessment is equal to a tax of $25.69.
Sample motor vehicle tax: Assessment of $3,500 (70% of NADA book value) gets a Town tax of $84.91 and a Fire tax of $5.01 for a total tax due of $89.92. Motor vehicle taxes are due in full July 1 with a 30 day grace period before penalties accrue.
Sample real estate tax: Assessment of $150,000 (70% of assessed value as of last revaluation) gets a Town tax of $3,639.00 and a Fire tax of 214.50 for a total tax of $3,853.50. The Town tax is due in two installments (July 1 and January 1) and the Fire tax is due in full July 1, therefore $2,034.00 would be due July 1 and $1,819.50 would be due January 1. There is a 30 day grace period from the due date before penalties begin to accrue. Bills are sent out once a year at the end of June - no second bill for the January installment will be sent. Mark your calendars!