Online property tax payments are now possible in Whitley County

If you own land in Whitley County and haven’t gotten a 2017 property tax bill, that doesn’t excuse you from paying your taxes.

“It is their duty to pay the taxes on the property. If they don’t receive a bill, it is their duty to call us or the PVA and find out what their bill is,” said Sheriff Colan Harrell.

The Whitley County Sheriff’s Department recently mailed out 21,623 tax bills to property owners in Whitley County, and so far about 500 tax bills have been returned to the department as undeliverable.

Jan Mills, head bookkeeper for the sheriff’s department, said the bills were returned for a variety of reasons, such as an unknown name or address, no mailbox or the forwarding address time for the mail had expired.

Whitley County property owners have until Nov. 1 at 4:30 p.m. to pay their bills with a 2 percent discount.

Property owners have until Jan. 2 at 4:30 p.m. to pay their bills at the face value.

Starting Jan. 3, a 5 percent late fee will be added to all unpaid 2017 property tax bills.

On Feb. 1, the penalty jumps to 21 percent.

The sheriff’s department accepts payment through various methods, and offers tips for paying the bills.

• Mail – include your tax bill or put the bill number on your check/money order. This will ensure accurate processing of your tax payment. The sheriff’s department’s mailing address is: P.O. Box 118, Williamsburg, KY 40769. If you would like a mailed receipt, you should mail your payment with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
• In-person check – have your tax bill present, and remember that presentation of a driver’s license or government issued ID is required to process in-person payment by personal check. Ensure the check is written for the correct amount to avoid delays.
• In-person cash – bring your tax bill with you to ensure accurate processing of your tax payment.
• Credit card – the sheriff’s department accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express in office or you can pay online at: http://www.wcsdky.us/. Processing fees do apply. Mills noted that this is the first year that people can pay their tax bill online in Whitley County.

If you own property that assesses for less than $5, then those aren’t sent a property tax bill and you don’t have to pay taxes on that property, Mills said.

She noted that the reason for this is the state has determined bills that small would cost more to collect than the county would receive in taxes.

If you are age 65 or older, or 100 percent disabled, then you are eligible for the homestead/disability exemption.

If you qualify, visit the Property Valuation Administrator before paying your bill.

If you haven’t received a 2017 property tax bill, you can contact the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department at 549-6006, or the Whitley County PVA Office at 549-6008.