Jackson County, MO

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Tax Collection

1. When will I receive my tax bill?: Tax bills will be mailed between Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving. Bills should be received by December 1.

Under state law taxes are due upon receipt of the tax bill but no later than December 31. Interest, penalties and fees will accrue if payment is late.

For payments made by mail to be on time, the U.S. postal service postmark date must be December 31 or earlier. If mailing on the final day, contact the Post Office to determine the office hours for mail postmark to ensure your mailed payment is timely made. Payments placed in Post Office mail drop boxes do not always receive the same day postmark. The Department of Collection highly recommends mailing several days before the December 31 deadline. For questions related to pending BOE appeals, see more information below.

3. What if I do not receive a bill?

The Department of Collection mails tax bills during November. If a tax bill is not received by December 10th, contact the Collector's Office at 816-881-3232 or check your account online. You can check the amount due and pay the bill at any time online at payments.jacksongov.org.

Failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve the obligation to pay taxes. Taxes not paid in full on or before December 31 will accrue interest, penalties and fees.

Telephones are staffed during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays observed by Jackson County).

4. To whom do I make checks payable?: Make any check or money order payable to: Jackson County Collector and include your PROPERTY ACCOUNT NUMBER on the document. If mailing, please include the remittance. To be timely paid, all payments must be USPS postmarked by December 31.

5. What hours are you open?

The Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City and the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence are open 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays observed by Jackson County. Visit www.jacksongov.org/collections for a list of holidays observed by Jackson County.

For your convenience, the Historic Truman Courthouse on the Independence Square will be open on Saturdays, December 14^th, 21^st, and 28^th, from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. (noon).

On Saturday, December 28, 2019 through Tuesday, December 31, 2019 a drop box for property tax payments will be located at the west door of the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City (415 E. 12^th St.) and at the south door of the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence (112 W. Lexington). Both drop boxes will close at midnight on December 31, 2019. Do not place cash in either drop box.

6. If I am paying in person, what do I need to bring?: Please bring the entire bill and your form of payment. If you do not have your bill, a bill can be printed for you, but this does create some additional wait time.

7. How do I get a copy of my receipt?

Online: You can find your receipt through the dashboard on your PayIt app. You can also find it by going to www.jacksongov.org/collection and clicking on “find property tax receipt” in the blue box on the left hand side.

Mail: If you mailed in a payment, your receipt will be mailed to you after the first of the year. Your receipt will also be available online via the directions listed above as soon as the payment is received and entered. Entry of mailed payments takes longer near the end of the year.

In person: Any time throughout the year you can get a duplicate copy of your receipt by coming in person. The cost for a duplicate receipt is $1. The use of online receipts is highly encouraged during the end of the year due to the significant wait time.

8. I just purchased this property. Why do I owe back taxes?: Taxes are a lien against the real estate and remains with the property, not the specific owner of that property. When property ownership changes, the new owner is liable for any unpaid real estate property taxes due.

9. Why do I owe the entire bill even though I only lived in the house for a few months?

The new owner/buyer has the responsibility for paying the total tax bill by December 31.

Generally, taxes are prorated between the buyer and seller. If this is being done, a proportionate amount of the estimated tax amount is credited to the buyer at the time of sale based on the number of months/days the seller owned the property during the tax year. If the buyer receives extra money at closing or loan settlement, it is recommended the buyer verify if those funds are for the payment of future taxes.

Generally, no money is paid to the Collector for taxes at the time of sale. However, a closing company as part of the sales transaction may pay any taxes currently due if known. You will have real estate property taxes to pay each year you own the property. Taxes are levied annually and due upon receipt.

A tax bill may be generated in the previous owner's (seller's) name and mailed to their mailing address unless the purchaser advises the Jackson County Assessor's office of the change in property ownership and mailing address. If you do not receive a real estate tax bill from the Jackson County Collector by December 10, contact the Collector's office.

10. Why wasn’t my real estate bill sent to my mortgage company?

Review your contract to see if you are obligated to pay the taxes or if the mortgage company collects an escrow and pays the bill for you. If the mortgage company pays the bill for you from an escrow account, forward the bill to them.

Each mortgage company submits an annual request to Jackson County for copies of the real estate bills that they plan to pay for that tax year. The Department of Collection bills the mortgage companies based on what accounts they request. Due to the constant buying and selling of mortgages in today’s economy, sometimes the tax bill is sent to the wrong company.

11. What about my escrow account?: Mortgage companies typically pay tax bills in December and adjust your monthly payment for any changes needed. Call your mortgage company for specific answers.

12. Why do owners of commercial real property have a "Commercial Surcharge" on their tax bills?: At the election held on August 3, 1982, the voters of Missouri approved the amended provisions of section 6 of article X of the Missouri Constitution. The effective date for the amended provisions of section 6 of article X was January 1, 1985. You can read more on the Commercial Surcharge page at www.jacksongov.org/Collection.

13. I filed an appeal to reduce the value of my home and have not had my hearing. What are my options?

The amount stated on your bill is due in full on or before December 31. However, if you have an appeal resolved prior to the end of the year and your value is reduced, we can recalculate the account and generate a new bill as soon as the Board of Equalization and Department of Assessment enter your corrected value. That new amount can be paid online if paid by December 31, by mail, or in person.

If you have an appeal resolved after the beginning of the year and your value is reduced, then the amount on your current bill is due on December 31 and a refund of any excess payment will be issued. You do not need to pay under protest to receive a refund based on a value change. We do accept partial payments on real property, but interest, penalties, and fees will accrue on any unpaid amount due if not paid on or before December 31. Partial payments cannot be made online.

14. I requested an informal review by the Assessment Department and agreed to a stipulated value, but that new value isn’t reflected on my bill, what should I do?: If a stipulated agreement was not received by the Assessment Department prior to the generation of bills in October, the bill will not reflect that agreement. As soon as the Assessment Department receives the stipulation and changes the value in our tax software, the Department of Collection will generate a new bill and mail it to you. Once a new bill is generated, it can be paid online if paid by December 31, in person, or by mail. If you do not provide the stipulated agreement to the Assessment Department until after the end of the year, then the full amount due on the initial bill will still be required and a refund will be generated.

15. Will I be liable for the interest, penalties, and fees if I wait to pay my taxes until my appeal is complete and that is after the first of the year? Does this change if I am successful in my appeal?

State statute requires that all taxes due be paid on or before December 31. If the taxes due on December 31 are not paid in full, you will be subject to interest, penalties, and fees on any amount not paid by that date.

Any taxpayer who prevails on an appeal of value, but has not made any tax payment for the year in question, will still be responsible for interest, penalties, and fees, but only based on the amount of the property valuation determined by the appeal, and not based on the county’s original valuation.

16. Can the County provide any relief to tax payers with pending appeals in regards to fees and penalties for not paying their taxes by 12/31?: State law requires tax bills be paid by 12/31. If full payment is not made by the due date, interest, penalties, and fees will apply until full payment is made. Any taxpayer who prevails on an appeal of value, but has not made a full tax payment for the year in question, will still be responsible for interest, penalties, and fees, but only based on the amount of the property valuation determined by the appeal, and not based on the county’s original valuation.

17. If a tax payer still has a pending appeal that is not resolved by December 31 but they cannot afford to pay the full amount, can they pay what they owed last year, or any lesser amount?: We do accept partial payment on real property taxes. This will limit the amount of interest, penalties, and fees owed. However, interest, penalties, and fees will still be owed on any difference between what is paid and what is later owed based on whatever value results from an appeal of value. It is also possible that a taxpayer would be entitled to a refund if the partial payment made is higher than the taxes due after the determination of value resulting from an appeal. Partial payments cannot be made online.

18. If I pay the amount stated on the bill and my value is reduced, what do I need to do to get a refund?: Refunds are automatically generated as a result of a value reduction. No steps need to be taken by a taxpayer to receive a refund based on a value reduction related to an informal review, BOE appeal, or STC appeal. If your bill is paid by a mortgage company, any refund amount would be returned to the mortgage company.

19. Do I need to pay under protest to get a refund?

You do not need to pay under protest to receive a refund based on a value change. The refund

process occurs automatically. Should you choose to pay under protest, the refund can only be

generated during our release of protested funds which occurs every other month. Payments can

only be made under protest if they are made on-time and paid in full.

20. Do I need to pay under protest to preserve my right to appeal to the BOE or the STC?: No. Paying under protest has no impact on a taxpayer’s right to appeal to the BOE or the STC.

21. I work for a mortgage company and the taxpayer has asked that we pay their payment under protest. What should I do?: You do not need to pay under protest to receive a refund based on a value change. When a mortgaged account has a reduction in value, the mortgage company will receive a second reconciliation file notifying the mortgage company of the reduction in taxes. The refund process occurs automatically. The refund will be issued to the mortgage company that paid the account. Should the taxpayer still choose to pay under protest, you will need to do so in accordance with Missouri Statute 139.031 (see below).

22. My taxes are paid by a mortgage company and I would like to pay under protest. What should I do?

You do not need to pay under protest to receive a refund based on a value change. The refund process occurs automatically. Should you choose to pay under protest, the refund of protested payments can only be generated during our release of protested funds which occurs every other month. Payments can only be made under protest if they are made on-time and paid in full.

Should you still choose to pay under protest and if your taxes are paid by a mortgage company, please coordinate with your mortgage company to have them properly pay under protest in accordance with Missouri Statute 139.031 (see below). Should your mortgage company be unable to pay under protest, or refuse to do so, you can submit a proper protest to the Department of Collection so long as it is received prior to the payment being made. Any resulting refund would be paid to the mortgage company that paid the taxes.

23. How do I pay under protest?

Payments under protest must be made in accordance with Missouri Statute 139.031. The language of the statute states, in part:

Any such taxpayer desiring to pay any current taxes under protest or while paying taxes based upon a disputed assessment shall, at the time of paying such taxes, make full payment of the current tax bill before the delinquency date and file with the collector a written statement setting forth the grounds on which the protest is based. The statement shall include the true value in money claimed by the taxpayer if disputed.

Please refer to the full language of the statute for additional requirements and information. The full language of the statute can be found at https://revisor.mo.gov.

Please send payments under protest, with the corresponding bill remittance, and the corresponding letter to the address below:

Jackson County Department of Collection

Attention: Protest

415 E. 12^th Street, Suite 100

Kansas City, MO 64106

24. What relief is there for senior citizens?: The Missouri Department of Revenue offers Missouri Seniors and 100% disabled individuals a Property Tax Credit (Circuit Breaker) program. Information is available by calling 573-751-3505 or visiting the Missouri Department of Revenue website at https://dor.mo.gov/personal/ptc/.

25. What relief is there for senior citizens in Jackson County?

Jackson County offers Senior Citizens a Quad Payment Program. The Senior Citizen Quad Payment Program gives Jackson County seniors the option to spread payment of their County real estate tax bills over 4 equal installments - without interest or penalties. You can read more on our website at www.jacksongov.org/Collection.

The following qualifications are required:

The program only applies to real property taxes
You must be 62 or older by December 31 of the tax year.
You must live at the address which you desire to have covered by the installment option.
You (not a trust) must own this real estate in fee simple or as a co-tenant, by tenancy in common, joint tenancy or tenancy by entirety.
All prior year taxes must be paid and not be delinquent.
The property is assessed solely as a residential property.
You must apply for the program and meet all requirements to remain in the program.
Real estate taxes paid by a mortgage company are not eligible.

26. How do I contact the PayIt Support Team?: If you have questions, concerns, or feedback to share, please get in touch! Please send an email to support@payitgov.com, or call at 800-268-9153.

27. Do I have to create an account?: You do not have to create an account to pay online using PayIt. To proceed without creating an account, click “continue as guest”. The benefit of creating an account is that by signing up and creating a profile, PayIt is able to pre-populate form fields and expedite the payment process on your next visit.

28. What if I can’t find my property online?: If you can’t find the property using the name or address search, we recommend searching using the parcel or account number which can be found on your bill. If that doesn’t work, or if you need your account number, please contact Taxpayer Services at 816-881-3232.