Pinellas Property Tax Bills Have a New Look“E-Check convenience fees have been eliminated,” says Pinellas County Tax Collector Diane Nelson.COURTHOUSE CLEARWATER: Pinellas County Tax Collector Diane Nelson reminds property owners that all 2008 Pinellas Real Property Taxes and Personal Property Taxes are open for payment, starting November 1, 2008. The traditional November 1 starting-date falls on a Saturday this year, when all Pinellas County Offices are closed. Pinellas County Offices are open for walk-in customers Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, except for holidays. One convenient way to post a payment after hours or on weekends is to make an on-line payment by way of www.taxcollect.com The elimination of the convenience fee to pay by electronic check (E-Check) is a noteworthy feature this year. The Tax Collector’s on-line payment vendor, VisualGov Solutions, LLC, offers Pinellas taxpayers the option of using Visa®, Master Card®, American Express®, Discover® or an E-check to pay property taxes or renew motor vehicle registrations online. This vendor did not raise its convenience fee charge of 2.65% with a minimum of $1.00 per transaction for credit cards, but did eliminate the E-check cost of $1.00 per transaction. “Convenience to the public is our first consideration,” says Pinellas County Tax Collector Diane Nelson, “and now that E-Check convenience fees have been eliminated, we hope this around-the-clock payment option will be even more popular than it already is.” Taxpayers are reminded if you choose a credit card or E-Check payment on-line, this is a transaction between you, the customer, and VisualGov Solutions, LLC, the vendor. The Tax Collector of Pinellas County is not a party to that transaction. The vendor charges a convenience fee for credit card transactions, and the Tax Collector does not receive any money from the fees charged by the vendor. Taxpayers are encouraged to take advantage of the early payment discounts of 4% for November payment, 3% for December payment, 2% for January payment, and 1% for February payment. The gross amount is collected in March, with bills becoming delinquent on April 1, 2009. Property owners can save postage by using the convenient teal-colored drop boxes located at each Tax Collector branch office. Another noteworthy feature of the 2008 Property Tax Bill is the “New Look”:
|