For Immediate Release:
For additional information please contact Tory Davis, Director of Communications & Community Relations at 813-635-5264
Get a discount on property taxes by paying early
Tampa, FL — October 30, 2017
TAMPA, FL – (October 30, 2017) – Doug Belden, Tax Collector, reminds Hillsborough County property owners that the 2017 Property Tax Roll will officially open for payment starting November 1. However, customers will have the option to pay online beginning Saturday, October 28. “We encourage Hillsborough County property owners to take advantage of both the online payment options and early payment discounts,” Doug Belden states.
The earlier customers pay, the better the discount. If you pay by November 30th, you receive a 4% discount. Customers do not need to visit an office to make their payments. Taxpayers have easy and convenient online payment options by either credit card or by “e-Check,” which is a free electronic payment from your checking account. There are also alternative payment options available. Property owners can make partial payments towards their 2017 property taxes, but certain restrictions apply. Taxpayers also have the option to plan ahead and apply for the installment plan for the 2018 tax season, which allows them to pay their taxes in quarterly increments throughout the year and still take advantage of discounts. According to Doug Belden, having alternative payment methods is another means of assisting taxpayers.
Hillsborough County has over 540,000 parcels of property totaling about $1.9 billion in revenue for the 2017 tax season, which is a 7% increase from 2016. The Tax Collector’s operating budget is approved by the Florida Department of Revenue. The work volume, combined with cost-effective operations, results in unused fees, which are then returned to Board of County Commissioners. This year’s unused fees enabled the tax collector’s office to distribute unused funds totaling over $13 million to the BOCC and other agencies. Belden says, “The surplus of these funds are attributed to efficiencies and cost savings based on the budget process that has been established over many years.” Belden has returned unused fees every year since being elected Tax Collector in 1998, which well exceeds over $200 million.
For more details regarding the collection of property taxes, discounts, partial payments or the installment plan, contact the Tax Collector’s office at 813.635.5200 or visit their website at hillstax.org.