Sandra Reeves, Clay County Collector
Dear Current and Past Clay County Taxpayers:
Please kindly read this message before you contact the Clay County Collector's Office.
The Collector's Frequently Answered Questions are here.
You may pay your Clay County taxes online and print current and past receipts here.
Most of the questions this office receives are routine: “I did not receive a bill.” “I want my penalties and interest waived.” “I moved and did not live in Missouri on January 1st of the year I am being taxed.” You will not receive a bill unless you filled out an assessment form for the year you are being taxed. We will send you your signed form verifying that you were a Missouri resident on January 1st if necessary. Missouri does not pro-rate personal property taxes. You may move into Missouri January 1st, receive a waiver, and not pay any taxes for the rest of the year. Conversely, you may leave the state of Missouri on January 2nd of the following year, and you must pay taxes for the entire year. The car you own and the place you live January 1st is what determines your tax liability.
We do press releases and notify every media outlet that the bills are out the first week of November, and you must call us if you have not received one. By state statute, tax bills are due whether you receive a bill or not. We send 150,000 bills knowing that it is also the postal service’s busiest time of the year. (Sometimes we do not receive your payment as well.) Most people pay us on December 31st which means we must process and record the bulk of the payments into January and February. In many cases, we have just now located (with much research) your current address. We were losing $1 million a year that could go to Clay County schools until we contracted with Trans Union, a credit bureau. If delinquent taxpayers do not pay us the full amount (including penalties and interest), we can attach a tax lien to their credit report.
There is one way only for this office to waive penalties and interest on your tax statement; we will waive these charges for those in the military on active duty. This is our only statutory provision for waiving delinquent fees. If your loved one signed an assessment form at the first of the year and has subsequently died, the estate is responsible for the personal property taxes. My staff and I do not own this money—it is owed to the taxing entities of Clay County.
Thanks for your prompt response.
Sandra Reeves, Collector
Taxes and Assessment at claycogov.com
Pay your Clay County taxes online
Mail the Collector
© 2009 Clay County, Missouri.
Clay County Offices
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, Missouri 64068
phone: 816-407-3600
fax: 816-407-3601
Contact Clay County
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