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Norwalk, Conn., Web site offers property-tax recordsNORWALK, Jul 17, 2009 (The Hour - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Norwalk taxpayers may view what they owe and what they've paid in property taxes through E-Tax Bill Lookup now available on the city's Web site 24 hours a day. As the payment deadline nears for the first installment of charges due on the city's Grand List of Oct. 1, 2008, Tax Collector Lisa Biagiarelli is pointing taxpayers to E-Tax Bill Lookup, which was made available through the efforts of her office and the Information Technology Department. "We added the feature that allows a taxpayer not only to view the information but also to print or reprint a virtually exact duplicate copy of the tax statement they received in the mail," Biagiarelli said. "There is also a feature where taxpayers can look up their past payment history and get information on what they already paid." Biagiarelli said E-Tax Bill Lookup gives taxpayers the ability to "get tax information on their own at any time and not have to rely on reaching our staff or coming to us during our business hours." The online information is also useful for property owners, as they complete their state and federal income tax forms next year. At a glance, they may view what they paid in local property taxes. For all of its usefulness, the E-Tax Bill Lookup, just like paper record-keeping, isn't perfect. Biagiarelli offers the following disclaimers: A search might not find everything that is due, as names can be misspelled, street addresses can be listed in different ways, and other inconsistencies may occur. Furthermore, a recently made payment may not be reflected, as the online information is updated only weekly. "We do warn people that there is really no substitute for dealing one-on-one with a tax collector's office employee to determine what is owed or what was paid," Biagiarelli said. "But this is probably the next best thing, and will provide all the information people need in most cases." E-Tax Bill Lookup is accessible directly from the City of Norwalk home page at www.norwalkct.org, or from various locations on the tax collector's page at the same site. Taxpayers have until Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, to pay the bills without incurring a late fee. Payments postmarked Aug. 4 and later will be considered late, and accrue interest at the rate of 1.5 percent per month from the due date of July 1. That means that a taxpayer paying on Aug. 4 will pay 3 percent interest, representing two months. Taxpayers are encouraged to pay by their tax bills by mail. Checks should be made payable to Tax Collector, City of Norwalk, and mailed to: Tax Collector, PO Box 5530, South Norwalk, CT 06856. To have a receipt returned, the payment must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and both payment coupons. Alternatively, tax bills may be paid in person in the Tax Collector's office in City Hall, 125 East Ave. The office is open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For faster service, taxpayers should bring their tax bills and write their list numbers -- shown on their payment coupons -- on the back of their check. Taxpayers may pay over the Internet or telephone by visiting www.officialpayments.com, or by calling (800) 2PAYTAX. They should enter Jurisdiction Code 1710. Those using this service may pay current or delinquent taxes with their credit card. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, throughout the year. There is a fee for the service. The fee schedule can be found on the Web site, or by calling the number above. Others may choose to pay in person at one of 17 participating Norwalk branch offices of Fairfield County Bank; TD Bank; Webster Bank; Patriot National Bank; Norwalk Bank and Trust; and HSBC National Bank. The banks will accept walk-in payments, and taxpayers need not maintain an account at the bank in order to pay there. Taxpayers will receive a receipt. They must bring both payment coupons with them. There is no charge for the service. Anyone who does not receive a bill he or she is supposed to pay should contact the Tax Collector's office at (203) 854-7731, or by fax at (203) 854-7770. To see more of The Hour, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thehour.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Hour, Norwalk, Conn. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |