It’s All In A Day’s Work At The Tax Office

By Steve Bigham

Last week, a Newtown resident paid his taxes in quarters while two other taxpayers nearly came to blows after one man became offended by another man’s dog.

It is all part of the normal routine for the tax collector’s office during the busy month of July. One year, a man arrived to pay his taxes pushing a wheelbarrow full of pennies.

“It’s very hectic this time of year. We get a high volume of phone calls and people stopping in,” said Newtown’s busy tax collector, Carol Mahoney, Wednesday.

Tax bills arrived in people’s mailboxes last week and, while many send their check in by mail, others prefer to stop by the office. A handful of others do neither, choosing to call the tax collector’s office instead. They often call with questions like:

How can I pay my bill by July 1 when I only got the bill on July 1? The answer: the due date states July 1 but residents have until August 1 to pay their taxes.

Why are you billing me for a car I no longer own? The answer: If you no longer own the car, but used the plates on another car, you should still pay the July bill. Credit will be given on the old car toward the new car billed in January. If you sold the car and failed to return the plates to the state motor vehicle department, the tax office needs a copy of the bill of sale and title transfer, or a copy of the new owner’s registration. If you junked the car, the collector’s office needs a copy of the receipt from the place of business where the car was junked. If you moved out of state, the office needs a copy of the new registration from the other state or a copy of your new deed or rental contract showing date of residency.

According to Tax Assessor Denise Hames, the highest homeowner’s tax bill to go out this year was for $21,288. That went to the owner of a home assessed at $721,630. Under today’s market value, that house would sell for more than $1.5 million.

The lowest tax bill to go out for an occupied dwelling was about $1,000.

The highest tax bill to go out for a car was $2,222, which was sent out to the owner of a Ferrari assessed at $75,330. The least expensive tax bill for a car was $2.95. No word on whether or not the car actually runs.

Mrs Mahoney reports the 1999-2000 fiscal year ended June 30 with a collection rate of 98.3 percent, – the town’s all-time highest percentage. Last year, the town collected 98.1 percent of its taxes, which was also above average.

“The economy is good and I like to think our office staff does a good job of collecting,” Mrs Mahoney said.