County tax bills hit the mail

Paul B. Johnson, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Jul. 26—GUILFORD COUNTY — Officials with the Guilford County Tax Department are in the midst of sending 225,000 tax notices to property owners who need to make sure their obligations are met by Jan. 5 to avoid interest on unpaid taxes.

This year the county is including an insert with each property tax statement sharing dates and other information for property owners, Tax Director Ben Chavis said.

"We want to make the process as easy and efficient as possible by providing multiple options and flexibility for making property tax payments," he said.

Here are some key aspects about property taxes:

—The county property tax rate remains at 73.05 cents per $100 value for the 2023-24 fiscal year that began July 1. If you pay by Aug. 31, you receive a 1% discount on the amount due.

—Property owners need to pay their taxes by Jan. 5 to avoid interest on the amount due. For the period Jan. 6 to Feb. 1, interest accrues at the rate of 2%. For the period Feb. 1 until the full amount of the taxes, interest and penalties are paid, interest accrues at the rate of up to three-fourths of 1% a month.

—Property owners can pay online through the website https://my.guilfordcountync.gov — you will receive a digital confirmation when you finish paying.

—If your property taxes are paid through escrow, you will receive a notice instead of a bill. Approximately 40% of Guilford County property owners pay their taxes through an escrow with their mortgage lender. When using an escrow account, it remains the property owner's responsibility to ensure all taxes are paid by the lender.

—There are three property tax relief programs available to certain North Carolina residents: the Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment Program, the Disabled Veteran Program, and the Senior and Disabled Tax Relief Program, which is also called the Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exclusion. If you own a home, it is your primary residence and you are a senior earning a low-income, you are a person with a disability, you are a veteran with a disability or you are an unmarried, surviving spouse of a veteran with a disability, you may qualify for support. Check the website taxrelief.guilfordcountync.gov to find out if you qualify and to submit an application.

Property taxes make up about 63% of the revenue to Guilford County, by far the largest component of the county's revenue. Other sources are sales taxes at 13%, federal and state funds at 12% and user charges at 6%. The remaining portion is other revenues and annual savings.

For more information about property taxes call the county Tax Department at 336-641-3363.

pjohnson@hpenews.com — 336-888-3528 — @HPEpaul