Time is quickly running out for the more than 24,000 Jefferson County residents who have yet to file their personal property declaration forms for 2022.
Assessor Bob Boyer said under state law, taxpayers have until May 1 to file their form and avoid paying penalties.
Boyer said about 101,200 forms were mailed out early this year, asking people to list what vehicles, trailers, mobile homes, boats, boat motors, aircraft, livestock and farm machinery they owned on Jan. 1 of this year.
The deadline set by the state to return those forms was March 1, but state law directs county Assessor’s Offices to mail out reminders to those who miss the deadline and give them an additional two months to file without incurring a late penalty, Boyer said.
He said the county sent out reminders last week to those who had not yet filed, and the number of reminders sent was up about 1,000 from the previous year.
“I don’t know why that is,” he said. “Personal property is not a very popular item. I think it’s because people are directly impacted by paying it. The Collector’s Office sends out bills at the end of every year. Real estate taxes for most people, is part of their escrow (on their home payments) and you never really think about it.”
Boyer said it’s important to return the forms so entities that receive property taxes – school districts, fire protection and ambulance districts and a host of others – can set tax rates based on the total amount of property in each district.
Personal property is taxed at 33.3 percent of its market value, as determined by the Assessor’s Office, Boyer said.
He said county residents may use the office’s electronic filing option accessed through jeffcomo.org/assessor.
A PIN number is located on the reminder notice, he said. “We try to make it as easy as possible.”
He said this year, more than 36,200 residents, or about 38.2 percent of the county’s taxpayers, have used the e-filing feature, putting the county at the top of the state for residents choosing electronic filing.
“It saves the taxpayer time, and it saves time in the office,” he said. “We’re happy that number keeps growing year after year.”
As for those who miss the May 1 deadline, Boyer said, his office is obligated to charge them late filing fees, which are assessed back to March 1.
Call the Assessor’s Office at 636-797-5343 or email ppassessor@jeffcomo.org.