Introduction
This guide is designed to provide answers to questions that are most commonly asked or that you may need to know. More detailed information may be obtained by calling our offices at the Town Hall.
FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE - AS OF JULY 1, YOUR TAX BILL INFORMATION CAN BE OBTAINED BY CLICKING ON THE LINK ON THE TAX COLLECTOR PAGE.
Q. How is the tax rate established?
The property tax rate is expressed in mills or thousandths of a dollar. A tax rate (mill rate) of 15.89 is equivalent to $15.89 of taxes per $1,000 of net assessed value.
TAXES UNDER $5.00 ARE WAIVED.
Q. How do I make payments?
Send or bring your payment to the Tax Collector's office. Your check should be made payable to: STONINGTON TAX COLLECTOR. If a receipt is needed, send a STAMPED, SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPE. Otherwise, no receipt will be sent. You may also pay by check or credit card online by clicking on "Pay Taxes Online" on the Stonington Website. A fee will be charged for these services.
A $20.00 fee will be collected for checks returned to us for any reason.
CREDIT CARDS: The Tax Office accepts DISCOVER card ONLY at the counter. There is a minimal fee to the taxpayer to use DISCOVER. If you wish to pay by any other credit card you may do so by clicking on "Pay by Credit Card" on our website or calling 1-800-272-9829. Mention "Jurisdiction Code 1772" to access the Stonington section. Official Payments charges a convenience fee of 3% for this service. You may also pay online with a check for a fee of $3.00.
Q. What do I own that is subject to taxes?
Three types of properties are assessed and subject to taxes:
Real Estate: Any land or buildings (including mobile homes) are Real Estate.
Motor Vehicle: Registered cars, trucks, motorcycles and trailers are taxed as motor vehicles.
Personal Property: Machinery, equipment, furniture, and fixtures either owned or leased by a business are taxed as personal property. Unregistered motor vehicles are also Personal Property.
Q. What happens if my taxes become delinquent?
Interest is charged at the rate of 1-1/2% per month from the ORIGINAL DUE DATE. Minimum interest is $2.00. Payments must be applied to the oldest tax bill first. LIENS will be filed on delinquent real estate by June 1, 2013 and personal property by May 1, 2013. DELINQUENT MOTOR VEHICLE TAX is reported to DMV and no registration is issued if tax is delinquent. CASH, CERTIFIED BANK CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ARE REQUIRED FOR PAYMENT WHEN AN IMMEDIATE DMV CLEARANCE IS NEEDED.
Q. What happens if I did not receive a bill?
Taxpayers are required to know that bills are due and payable in July and January of each year. If you did not receive a bill call the tax office immediately. STATE STATUTE 12-130 STATES THAT FAILURE TO RECEIVE A TAX BILL DOES NOT INVALIDATE THE TAX OR THE INTEREST.
Q. What period of time do tax bills cover?
REAL ESTATE: When you receive this bill it is based on the Grand list of October 1, 2011. This makes your first installment due and payable in July 2012 and second installment in January 2013.
If you are no longer the owner of real estate and you receive a bill, please contact the Tax Collector's office. BILLS ARE SENT ONLY ONCE A YEAR WITH TWO PAYMENT STUBS; NO JANUARY BILL WILL BE MAILED TO YOU.
MOTOR VEHICLE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY:
Assessments are based on the October 1, 2011 Grand List. Motor Vehicle bills are paid in July; Personal Property bills are payable in July or July and January if the bill is over $100. Motor Vehicle bills are also paid in January for those registrations that take place AFTER the October 1, 2011 grand list. For those motor vehicles, bills are sent in December 2012 and are payable in January 2013.
Q. Do I need to save my receipts?
You are responsible for retaining your receipts for tax purposes. Copies of tax information will be provided at a cost of $.50 per page. Additional fees will be charged for research beyond the current year. ALL TAX INFORMATION IS NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB PAGE. YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR BILL AND PRINT THEM WHEN NEEDED.
Q. Why do I still get a bill when I no longer own my vehicle?
If you owned a vehicle as of October 1, 2011 you are responsible for the July bill. You may receive a credit or refund if you provide adequate proof to the assessor's office. For information regarding these adjustments, please contact the assessor's office at 860-535-5098.
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