Property Tax Look-up and Online Payments

The City of Hopkinsville’s Chief Financial Officer Robert Martin announced that City property taxpayers can now pay their property tax bills online using either their credit or debit card. In order to access this service which is free to the public, taxpayers need to log onto the City’s web site at www.hopkinsvilleky.us and click onto the box, Property Tax Lookup and Online Payments, located at the top right side of the home page. From there, taxpayers will be able to pull up not only this year’s property tax information but also prior years going back to 1997. In order to search for property tax information, taxpayers must enter one of the following three items: the name of the property owner, the street address, or the map number found on the property tax bill. Once the search has been completed, the taxpayer will be able to pay not only this year’s property tax but also any other prior years for which the property tax has not been paid. By following the prompts, taxpayers will be able to pay their property tax bill in a matter of a few minutes from the comfort of their home or business at any time during the day or night. Once the transaction is completed, the taxpayer will receive an email which will serve as a receipt notifying him that his payment has been processed. The City currently accepts MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. Also taxpayers may also use their credit or debit card at the tax office located in the Lackey Municipal Building at 101 North Main Street between the hours of 8:00a.m. and 4:30p.m. If anyone has any questions or problems about the online system, they can call the tax office at 890-0221 during normal business hours.

Martin said that he is excited about this new service that is being offered to the public. Not only will online payments save taxpayers time, it will also save time for the Revenue and License staff in that online payments will be automatically posted to the taxpayer’s account instead of a staff member manually entering in the information. Also staff members receive several calls a week from real estate agents, attorneys, and banks inquiring about the property tax status of property that is being sold. With this new service, these individuals will be able to go online and search for the property tax status of any property located within the City. It is Martin’s hope that in the future the City will be able to offer online filing for other types of taxes such as business licenses and payroll taxes. Martin will give a demonstration of the online property tax payment this Tuesday at the City Council meeting.

Martin also reported that 13,659 property tax bills have been mailed out and that citizens should start receiving their bills in the mail this Monday. The total assessment this year for property located within the City is $1,679,022,588 and the total tax due is $3,965,862. Tax bills paid during the month of October will be allowed a 2% discount. Tax bills paid during the month of November will be the exact amount of the bill with no discount or penalty or interest. On December 1^st all unpaid tax bills will be assessed a 10% penalty and interest accruing at ½% (one-half) per month.

Martin emphasized that property tax bills are mailed to the individual who owned the property on January 1, 2011. If a taxpayer has sold his property since that time, he must forward the tax bill to the new property owner. New homeowners who do not receive a 2011 property tax bill should contact the original home owner or the City to receive a copy of the tax bill. Because a new homeowner does not receive a property tax bill, does not mean that there is no tax due. Even if a homeowner does not receive a tax bill, penalty and interest will be assessed if the bill is paid late. New City residents may not be aware that properties located in the City limits are assessed for both City and Christian County taxes. Those individuals should anticipate two bills for the year 2011.

Citizens who have questions about the property assessment on a tax bill or who may qualify for a Homestead Exemption should contact the Property Valuation Administrator, Angie Strader, at 887-4115 or visit her office in the Courthouse Annex. The City of Hopkinsville cannot change a tax bill without authorization from the Property Valuation Administrator’s office.