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1. When will the current year tax bills be available?

Tax bills will be available on our website in November and mailed from the printer in late November.  If you do not receive a bill by December 1st please contact the Collector’s office at 636-797-5406 to verify your mailing address.

2. When are the current year taxes due?

Real Estate Taxes are due on December 31st of the current year and become delinquent on January 1st of the proceeding year.

3. How do I change the name and address on my real estate bill?

Addresses can be changed by contacting either the Assessor’s or Collector’s offices. If you are changing the address after you received your bill, you would need to contact the Collector. If you are changing your address prior to bills being mailed, please contact the Assessor’s office.

The name on real estate bills can only be changed by recording a new deed. To have a new deed prepared you may want to contact a title company or real estate attorney.

4. I bought my property during the year, when will it be assessed in my name and who is responsible for the taxes?

As soon as the new deed is recorded in the Recorder of Deed’s office, the Assessor’s file will reflect the change. In most instances, the seller’s portion of taxes is credited at the closing and the buyer is responsible for the full year of taxes. Refer to your settlement statement or contact the title company that you closed through if you have further questions.

5. I did not receive a tax bill, why do I have to pay a late fee?

As an owner of real estate it is your responsibility to make sure the taxes are paid each year by December 31st.  If you do not receive your tax bill by the end of November, please call the office so that we may mail you a duplicate statement.  Tax bills are mailed as a courtesy and failure to receive a tax bill does not relieve you of the obligation to pay by December 31st each year.  State statute requires us to collect interest and penalty on any payment received with a postmark after December 31st.  Please be aware of the last pickup time at your post office if you are mailing on the last day of the year.

6. I received my tax bill and my loan company is supposed to pay this for me, what should I do with it?

If you received your tax bill, then your mortgage company did not submit a request for it.  Mortgage companies are required to send us a written request for all tax bills they intend to pay.  You should call your mortgage company to find out what address they want you to forward your bill to.

7. Is there any tax relief available?

Yes.  There is senior citizen and disabled citizen property tax relief.  Currently there is one program in place to assist senior citizens with real estate property taxes. The state of Missouri administers this program.    

Learn more about the program by calling the Missouri Department of Revenue at 573-751-3505 or calling Mideast Area Agency on Aging at 1-800-243-6060. You may also find information on the Department of Revenue Property Tax Guide (PDF).

8. What are the procedures for paying my taxes under protest?

If the assessed value on your property is raised, the Jefferson County Assessor will send you a change of value notice in the spring. If you believe that your property has been assessed incorrectly, you should first contact the Jefferson County Assessor prior to June 15th to determine how they assessed your property. If you are still not satisfied with the assessment, then you can appeal to the Board of Equalization.

This board meets through the summer, and you should contact the Jefferson County Clerk by 5 pm on the third Monday in June to schedule an appointment before this group. There are specific forms provided by the County Clerk that must be completed to properly secure your appeal.

Appeals

If you are still not satisfied you can then appeal to the Missouri State Tax Commission. This group operates out of Jefferson City, but they will schedule appointments here in Jefferson County to hear your appeal.

If you have an appeal pending with the State Tax Commission, you must still pay the full amount of your taxes before December 31st, and this payment should be accompanied with a letter stating that you are paying your taxes in protest and that you have an appeal pending with the State Tax Commission. When we receive your tax payment, the Collector will hold these funds in an escrow account until a ruling is made on your appeal.

Protest Payments

The payment of taxes in protest is a very specific legal remedy that is available to taxpayers that believe that they have been assessed incorrectly. Simply writing "protest" on your check when making your payment will not preserve your rights to appeal.

For more information you can refer to the Missouri Revised Statutes section 139.031.