This years tax bills rolling off the printing machine.
PHOTO COURTESY WILL ROBERTS TAX COLLECTOR
A cruel and costly trick, but no treat.
The Volusia County Tax Collector’s Office will mail out the 2021 property-tax bills Nov. 1. The bills will arrive in the mailboxes of property owners within a few days afterward.
Tax Collector Will Roberts and his staff will send out a total of 281,441 bills, whose aggregate total of taxes due is $896,994,689.27.
Special annual assessments for such things as stormwater control and trash and garbage collection also may appear on the tax bills, and those must be paid in conjunction with the ad valorem taxes.
Taxes become payable Nov. 1, and those who pay during November will receive a 4-percent discount. The last day for paying the 2021 taxes is March 31, 2022. Property owners who pay after that date may be subject to penalties and interest.
— Al Everson
Tax collector’s press release:
DeLand, Fla. – When property owners pay their tax bills by check this year, they will be making them payable to Will Roberts Tax Collector. This reflects the Jan. 5, 2021 change to an elected tax collector as a result of Amendment 10. For the past 50 years, checks to pay property taxes were written to the County of Volusia or Volusia County Revenue Division.
Elected tax collectors in each county are responsible for the billing, collection and distribution of millions of dollars in property taxes every year. According to Will Roberts, Volusia County tax collector, many tax collectors in Florida demonstrate that responsibility by having checks payable to the name of the elected tax collector.
“I understand this change has raised some questions,” Roberts said. “Let me assure you all checks made out to Will Roberts Tax Collector are deposited directly into the tax collector bank account. Checks made out to the Volusia County Tax Collector, the County of Volusia or Volusia County Revenue Division are also accepted.”
This weekend, the tax collector will mail 281,441 real estate, tangible and centrally assessed tax bills collectively, Roberts added. These are all types of property bills. That’s 4,025 more bills than last year’s mailing. The increase primarily is a result of large parcels being split for development.
“I strongly encourage taxpayers to pay their taxes by the end of November to take advantage of the 4% discount,” Roberts explained. “Each month after November, the discount decreases by one percent. And most importantly, make sure the taxes are paid by the March 31 due date.”
The Office will send bills to all property owners via U.S. mail. Some owners also opt to receive the bills electronically. According to Florida statute, it is the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure they receive a tax bill and that it is paid on time to avoid late fees.
Taxpayers may pay this year’s bill in a lump sum or in partial payments. Information on paying in quarterly installments next year or other property tax related questions is online at vctaxcollector.org/taxes.
Roberts has two additional tips for taxpayers to follow when they receive their bill. First, ensure the personal information such as name and address are correct. Second, ensure that all the exemptions are applied correctly. If not, the property owner should contact the Volusia County Property Appraiser.
This year’s annual billing totals $896,994,689.27 in ad-valorem and non ad-valorem taxes and assessments. Once the payments are received by the tax collector, they are deposited and then distributed out to the taxing and levying authorities. Distributions are made twice a month in November and December – the months with the most collection volume – and then once a month for the remainder of the year.
For more information on the Office of Will Roberts – Tax Collector, please visit vctaxcollector.org.
