Property taxes due soon

By Melinda L. Lucas

With just a little over a week left before the official deadline, a large percentage of the county-wide tax levies will be collected in the next few days.

Taxes assessed during 2021 are officially due on Monday, Jan. 31.

Taxpayers have the option of mailing in their payment as well as coming inside. However, if anyone is concerned about COVID exposure, they can use the drop box (to the left of the main door), mail, or go to to the SCAD website (shackelfordcad.com) for online payments.

Since the Jan. 31 deadline falls on a Monday this year, payments that are not in the drop box  at the open of business on Tuesday, Feb. 1 or postmarked by Jan. 31 will be considered delinquent, according to chief appraiser Clayton Snyder at the Shackelford County Appraisal District office.

Collection Rate

Payments have been coming in at a steady pace since the statements went out in early December, and although collections have been a little behind last year’s totals so far, Snyder expects to be in the usual range of 90 to 95 percent by Feb. 1.

About a quarter of the total levy is typically collected by the end of the year, with payments coming in steadily throughout the month of January and momentum picking up in the last week before the deadline.

Snyder explained that there are a small number of “individually significant” taxpayers, mostly corporations, who tend to wait until right before the deadline to pay their taxes.

“That’s the reason the collection rate is typically so volatile between December and January,” said the chief appraiser.

Official Deadline

Payments postmarked Jan. 31 or earlier are not considered delinquent even though they may not arrive at the tax office for several more days.

A self-addressed stamped envelope needs to be enclosed with mailed or dropped payments in order for taxpayers to receive a receipt by return mail.

Online payments at www.shackelfordcad.com can be made any time before midnight on Jan. 31.

Local taxpayers can bring in their payments in person by the end of the working day on Monday, Jan. 31.

Anything in the night deposit at the open of business on Tuesday, Feb. 1 will not be considered late, said Snyder.

Penalties

Taxes will become delinquent after the payment deadline, and property owners who do not pay their 2021 taxes in time will be charged penalty and interest on an accumulating scale.

Local taxpayers can contact the tax office at 325-762-2207 for more information.