I am pleased to announce that HEB on 3590 College and 3025 N. Dowlen in Beaumont and 4800 B Hwy 365 in Port Arthur are processing auto renewals. Taxpayers MUST bring their auto renewal form they received by mail to process the transaction. If the form you received in the mail states it is time to replace your license plates, you must come to the tax assessor collector’s office. NO LICENSE PLATES can be given at HEB. There is a $1.00 convenience fee to use this service at HEB.
Jefferson County Tax News
Homeowners Beware
July 1, 2015
Please be aware of people that are going door to door or calling by phone trying to collect your property taxes. “My office does not go to a taxpayer’s home or make collection calls”, Tax Asssessor Collector, Allison Nathan Getz said. There have been numerous reports of taxpayers being called or someone coming to their door to collect money.
All correspondence with the tax office is done by mail with an official letterhead and the county seal on it. There are several companies that do a direct mailing wanting taxpayers to authorize them to recover refunds for them from failure to file for tax exemptions.
“Why would you pay someone money for something that you can easily do on your own? If you receive a letter about the recovery of a refund, please call our office and let us help you file the necessary paperwork, so that you keep your money. We want our taxpayers to get the most out of their exemptions” Getz said.
Property owners who are in doubt about the status of their exemptions can contact the Jefferson County Tax Office and have the staff inform them of any exemptions they are currently receiving; and any that they may potentially qualify to receive.
Two Step, One Sticker
February 4, 2015
Beginning March 1, 2015, the State of Texas will stop issuing vehicle inspection stickers.
After this, in order to register your vehicle, you will be required to pass a vehicle inspection not more than 90 days prior to the date your registration expires. After passing an inspection, the inspection station will update your electronic inspection record with the results and issue you a paper vehicle inspection report (VIR).
The inspection fees have not changed but where you pay them has. You will now pay the inspection station its portion of the fee at the time of inspection and the state’s portion of the fee will now be collected at the time of registration.
Additional information about the program can be found on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles’ website at www.txdmv.gov. Simply select the “Two Steps, One Sticker” heading from the Motorists tab at the top of the homepage to access the content. Scroll down to the “Calculate my date” option for your inspection renewal date.
2014 Property Taxes Due February 2, 2015
January 23, 2015
Property Tax Payments for 2014 must be paid by Monday, February 2, 2015 to avoid penalty and interest charges.
They may be made in person at:
1) Jefferson County Courthouse, 1149 Pearl, Beaumont
2) Jefferson County Sub Courthouse, 525 Lakeshore Drive, Port Arthur; or
3) Mid County Tax Office, 4605 Jerry Ware Dr, Beaumont (near the airport).
All three locations will remain open until 5:00 pm on Friday, January 30th and Monday, February 2nd.
2014 payments by mail must have a Post Office cancellation mark on or before February 2, 2015 to avoid penalty and interest charges. The cancellation mark must be affixed by the Post Office and not a metered postmark. Payments by mail may be sent to Jefferson County Tax Office, PO Box 2112, Beaumont, Tx 77704.
Beginning February 3rd, a penalty and interest of 7% will be applied to unpaid tax balances. An additional 2% penalty and interest will be added each month until the end of June. On July 1st, a penalty and interest totaling 18% will be applied, plus a 20% addition of collection fees. Finally, interest of 1% per month will accrue from that time forward.
“Jefferson County has an excellent payment rate,” Allison Getz said. “We typically collect over 98% of the total tax roll on a current basis. We appreciate the effort our community makes.”
“We hope this reminder will help people remember to not overlook taking care of a payment they fully intended to make. Please call our office if you are having difficulty meeting your tax obligation. There are special provisions for payment for citizens with age homestead or disability exemptions. The Tax Office deputies will be more than happy to give information on options that are available under the State Property Tax Code.”
Taxes may be paid in cash, check, or credit/debit card in person. Telephone payments may be made by calling 1-866-549-1010 and use Bureau Code: 2228888. Also, credcit card payments or e-check payments may be made online at www.certifiedpayments.net and follow the instructions on the screen. A convenience fee of 2.4% on credit card payments and a $1.50 fee on e-check payments will occur.
