Tax collections typical for Jan. 31

Tax collections for local entitiesareaboutwhatwas expected as of the Jan. 31 deadline for 2023 taxes, with a little over 91 percent of the current year tax levy collected for the six local entities.

According to chief appraiser Clayton Snyder at the Shackelford County Central Appraisal District (SCAD) office, January 2024 is more comparable to January 2022 because of last year’s dispute with one of the wind farm companies. That lawsuit has since been settled.

Notcountingtheeligible payments that have come in during February, the collection rate for all six entities was 91.02 percent, compared with over 70.78 percent at the same time last year. The collection percentage for most years is over 90 percent.

“Collections are still rolling in and are expected to continue,” said Snyder. “January 2024 is much more comparable to January 2022 even though they’re down a couple of percentage points..”

Collections at this time in 2022 were 93 percent.

“For the 13 months ended 2024 (the prior delinquent year), collections are in line and coming in at 98 percent overall,” Snyder said. “Everything looks healthy based on that, and I expect to collect most of the current year taxes by this time next year.”

Official SCAD reports show that $7,971,620 of the $8,757,681 adjusted total levy has come in so far,comparedwithjustover 81percentatthesametime last year. However, since the wind farm settlement and with other delinquent collections, the 2022 rate eventually reached 98.27 percent.

The chief appraiser also reported that SCAD personnel recently sent out rendition notices and some of those are beginning to come back, with a cutoff date of April 15, unless taxpayersrequesta15-day extension in writing.

Collection Totals

In the latest report generated this week, Albany ISD had brought in 93.34 percentofthe2023taxlevy. Collections of $2,271,684 had already been made toward the total adjusted tax amount of $2,433,730.

The Shackelford County Hospital District had received payments totaling 1,098,922 on the total adjusted tax levy of $1,201,515, or 91.46 percent.

The taxes collected for Shackelford County on the same date were 91.73 percent of the total 2023 levy of $3,952,674,withpayments received of $3,625,767.

The City of Albany has collected $544,447 of the $606,186 levy, or 89.81 percent.

Moran ISD levied taxes of $531,125 for 2023. As of this week, they had collected $408,465, equaling 76.91 percent.

The City of Moran, the smallest entity, had collected $22,335 of the $32,451 levied tax, equaling 68.83 percent.

Penalties

Property owners who didnotpaytheir2023taxes on time are being charged penalty and interest on an accumulating scale, starting with seven percent of the total amount added on for the month of February.

Thepenaltyamountwill go up by two percentage points every month until July, when it will jump three points to 18 percent.

Anytaxesnotpaidbythe end of June will be handled by tax attorneys, with another 20 percent added to cover legal fees.

The only exceptions will be those who already applied for and received the quarterly payment option offered to disabled taxpayers or those over the age of 65.

Eligible taxpayers were required to make their first installment by the end of the day on Jan. 31.

Other payment dates are March 31, May 31, and July 31.

Call 325-762-2207 for more information.