State's new tag/tax bills set for September payment dates
By From staff reports
Published in News on July 22, 2013 1:46 PM
Wayne County residents who renew their vehicle tags in September will be among the first in the state required to pay their county property taxes on the vehicle at the same time.
The first combined notices under the state's new Tag and Tax Together program are being mailed this month to vehicle owners with September vehicle registration renewals.
The new bills will reflect both vehicle property tax information, as well as vehicle registration and inspection information. Vehicle owners used to pay for tags and taxes separately now both payments must be paid in full to renew a vehicle registration.
People can determine if they will be among the first to receive the new bills by checking to see if they have a "9" (for the month of September) sticker on their license tag.
With each month that passes, additional vehicle owners will receive the new notice when their renewal is due. By mid-2014, the program should include all North Carolina vehicle owners.
The program, created by the General Assembly in 2005, was to have launched in July, but was delayed to allowed car dealerships more time to install the software for the system.
A map of how to read the news notice is posted on the state Division of Motor Vehicles' website, ncdot.gov/dmv, and shows where property tax information is listed and how to find vehicle registration facts.
To figure out the projected total of the new bill, people can use the Tag and Tax Estimator on the website and plug in their vehicle information. Vehicle dealers and dealerships can also find information about the new program online.
After receiving the entire payment, DMV will renew the vehicle registration and forward the property tax portion of the payment directly to the county tax office.
The DMV website also features frequently asked questions about the combined billing program and contact information for county revenue offices across the state. A Spanish version of the questions has also been posted.
Also, the DMV has produced a video to help explain the new program.
Under the new program:
* It is for vehicle property tax only and does not affect a person's mortgage or home property tax
* The vehicle tax will be due at the same time the vehicle registration is due and the due date will be printed on the new renewal notice that the owner receives in the mail
* The vehicle's annual registration renewal fees will remain the same -- the increase in the bill is from the addition of the vehicle property tax
* No owner will have to pay taxes twice in the same tax year for the same vehicle. It is important to look at the vehicle property tax year rather than the calendar year. By law, the tax year for a vehicle begins the first month after the previous registration expires. While it is possible to pay twice in a calendar year, no vehicle owner will pay twice in the same tax year or for the same 12-month period.