Mecklenburg County residents are reminded that property tax payments must be paid on or before January 5, 2011 to avoid interest charges. If mailed, the payment must be postmarked by the United States Postal Service, not metered, on or before that date. Residents are also reminded that County offices are closed on Friday, December 31. Those taxpayers who wish to pay taxes in person prior to the end of the year must do so on or before December 30.
Property owners whose payments are received or postmarked after January 5 will be charged 2 percent interest for the month of January 2011 and an additional ¾ percent every month thereafter until paid.
Unpaid taxes will be advertised in local newspapers and an additional advertising fee will be added to each bill. Unpaid taxes are subject to collection action including garnishment, seizure of property, and foreclosure. North Carolina’s set-off debt program also authorizes Mecklenburg County to seize North Carolina income tax refunds to satisfy delinquent taxes.
There are five ways to pay your tax bill:
• By Internet: Log on to http://paytax.charmeck.org and use your credit card, debit card or eCheck. *
• Online Banking: Funds are sent electronically from your bank. Please allow up to four business days after the date you authorized your financial institution to make the payment before it is posted to your bill. The Bill Number must be entered in the account number field to ensure receipt and correct posting to your bill. Your payment will be rejected and returned to the financial institution if the bill number is missing or incorrect.
• By phone: Call toll-free 1-877-533-0072 and use your credit card, debit card or pay by eCheck. Service is available in English and Spanish when paying your tax bill by phone.*
• By mail: Mail your check using the return envelope that accompanied your tax bill.
• In person: Pay at the Tax Collector’s office at the Robert L. “Bob” Walton Plaza, 700 East Stonewall Street, Charlotte, NC, or 4150 Wilkinson Blvd., Charlotte, NC, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at both locations. Cash, money order or checks accepted. Make checks payable to the Mecklenburg County Tax Collector. Office will be closed Dec. 31 in observance of the County holiday.
* A convenience fee is assessed when using the credit card or debit card option. Credit card and debit card payments are not accepted at the Tax Collector’s office. There is no charge for eCheck payments.
Taxpayers with questions about their bill, property listings, or real estate valuations can call City-County Customer Service at 311. Taxpayers calling from outside Mecklenburg County should dial 704-336-7600 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days a week. More information is also available on the Office of the Tax Collector’s website. Visit http://tax.charmeck.org and then click on Office of the Tax Collector.
What is taxed? Property taxes are levied on real property (land and buildings) and personal property (boats, aircraft, income-producing business personal property, and unlicensed motor vehicles, etc.) The Tax Collector bills for licensed motor vehicles based on the monthly registration data from the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.
Mecklenburg County: The countywide tax rate for FY2011 is $0.8387 per $100 assessed valuation. Tax bills for property in the unincorporated areas include an additional law enforcement service district tax rate of $0.2046 added to the countywide tax rate. The law enforcement service district tax funds police service in those areas. It is based on the percentage of County residents who live in unincorporated areas. Residents of Charlotte and the six towns pay for police service through their municipal property taxes.
Cities and Towns: The City of Charlotte property tax rate for FY2011 is $0.4586 per $100 assessed valuation. Property within the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s six towns is assessed a county tax rate and a city or town tax rate. The combined 2010-2011 City/County tax rate for property within the City of Charlotte is $1.2973 per $100 assessed valuation. The combined rate for Cornelius is $1.1137, Davidson is $1.2037, Huntersville is $1.1287, Matthews is $1.1712, Mint Hill is $1.1137, and Pineville is $1.1587.
Solid Waste Fees: For residential property within the Charlotte city limits, the tax bill includes two solid waste fees. The Charlotte solid waste fee is $45 for a single-family residence or $27 for a multi-family residence. The solid waste fee pays the disposal costs for trash collected in Charlotte. The County solid waste fee of $15 is used to pay for recycling and waste reduction services. Tax bills for all residential property within Mecklenburg County will include the County solid waste fee.
Tax bills were mailed to the owner of record at the address shown on the listing as of January 1, 2010. According to North Carolina law, failure to receive a tax bill does not invalidate the tax or interest charges.
