Clay County, Missouri Collector's Office

Most Frequently Asked Questions

Sections:

1. General
2. Personal Property Tax
3. Real-Estate Property Tax
4. Tax Sale
5. Moving into Clay County
6. When to contact us

For all questions not answered in this document, please contact the Clay County Collector per
e-mail or call (816) 407-3200.

General Questions

back to top

What are the office hours?
Both of the Clay County Collector offices are open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Where are we located?
Liberty Office
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, MO 64068
(816) 407-3200.

Westside Annex
1901 NE 48th St.
Kansas City, MO 64118
(816) 407-3450

How can I see online what I owe? Can I pay my taxes online?
Go to http://collector.claycogov.com/ and type in your information. On this site, you can see your current balance, payment history, pay online using credit card or e-check (3rd party convenience fees apply). You may also print your current and past tax receipts online.

Your online system requires a PIN number for payment. Where do I find it?
You will find your PIN number on your tax bill.

I want to pay online, but I don't have my tax bill handy. How do I find out my PIN number?
Please call (816) 407-3200 and request that your pin number be researched.  That number is a secure number for your own protection and must be given by a staff member in the case your tax statement is lost or not in your immediate possession.  You may also send an e-mail to SReeves@claycogov.com, but usually many requests come the last week of collection, and the best chance of getting your pin number as soon as possible would be to telephone a staff member.

What are acceptable methods of payment?
Currently we accept cash, check, and cashiers checks. We participate in secure on-line payments through UMB Bank (click here to conduct payment) with a fee of $1.50 regardless of the amount paid.

We also take credit card payments by calling (888) 272-9829 (Jurisdiction Code 3509). Please do not hang up until you receive a confirmation number to ensure transaction has been completed. You may also pay online at http://www.officialpayments.com. A 2-3% service charge is paid to the credit card company.

Why is a Driver's License required for payment at the counter?
The majority of bad checks for the collector’s office come from our counter payments—not online, credit card, or by mail.  The Prosecuting Attorney’s office has mandated that driver’s licenses must be recorded so that a picture ID can be used to verify that this taxpayer was the one who wrote the check.  Delivery of the payment by a spouse not signing the check must be deposited in our drop box, not paid in person.  Drop box payment may be accepted from 8 AM to 5 PM each business day and receipts will be mailed shortly after processing.

What is your Federal Tax ID?
Our Federal Tax ID number is 44-6000477.

Where do I send payments, and who do I make the check payable to ?
In the time between November 1st and December 31st, you can send your payments to:

Clay County Collector
PO Box 219808
Kansas City, Missouri 64121-9808.

This is the mailing address that you will find with your tax bill. If your tax bill shows a different mailing list, use the address on your tax bill instead.

Outside this period, you need to send your payments to:

Clay County Collector
1 Courthouse Square
Liberty, Missouri 64068.

We also take payments at the Clay County Administration Building (1 Courthouse Square, Liberty, Missouri, 64068) and the Clay County Annex (1901 NE 48th St, Kansas City, Mo. 64119), online at www.officialpayments.com; on the telephone at 1-888-272-9829, Jurisdiction Code 3509 (wait for the confirmation number to ensure transaction has been completed). Credit cards allow taxpayers the benefits of paying monthly, frequent flyer miles, and getting a 30-day float on their taxes.

We are currently preparing to accept payments via Debit Card.

Checks may be payable to "Sandra Reeves, Collector", or "Clay County Collector".

I recently moved to Clay County, what do I need to do ?
You must make sure that you are in the Assessor's tax lists. Please contact the Assessor's Office at (816) 407-3500.

When are tax bills mailed out?
Taxbills are normally mailed out around November 15th every year. If you do not receive a taxbill by November 30th from Clay County please call (816) 407-3200. Missouri Statutes mandate payment by December 31st whether a taxpayer receives a bill or not. Postmark of bill verifies time of mailing (some bills get stuck in magazines, holiday catalogs, and other people's mail).

What is the penalty and interest on delinquent taxes?
The penalty is 7% with interest at 1.5%. The interest increases each month by 1.5% until it reaches the maximum interest for the year at 18%. Interest is not prorated. Interest is calculated per month and not per day.

Do you accept partial payments?
No. If a partial payment is received, it will be returned.

How do I get my penalties and interest on delinquent taxes waived?
Missouri State Law gives one reason only for the waiving of delinquent taxes: Military personnel on active duty. Please bring your military orders with you when seeking to have your penalties and interest waived. Please do not ask the Collector's staff to deviate from state law. This is not our money--it belongs to the schools, hospitals, libraries, and health department of Clay County.

My spouse and I just went through a divorce, and he/she won't pay his/her half of the personal property bill. What do I do?
Please contact your spouse's attorney and obtain the other half of the payment through his/her attorney.

My grandmother died, and I received her personal property tax bill? Would you take her off the rolls immediately?
We will remove her name from the rolls; however, deceased taxpayers are to have their bill paid by the family or the estate. Often, the deceased person's vehicle is sold to help pay the personal property taxes. We get all our information from the Assessor's office, and they should be notified as well at (816) 407-3500.

I do not have children in school.  Why do I have to pay so much of my taxes for public schools?
Responsible citizens shoulder the burden for activities that benefit the whole of society.  Public education is surely one of the most important of these responsibilities in an era of global competition.  We all pay to maintain highways on which we may never drive, support hospitals where we may never be admitted, and support a military that may never watch over our particular neighborhood.  When schools deteriorate, so do our property values.

Personal Property Tax

back to top

Why am I being taxed for a vehicle I no longer own?
Your tax is based on the vehicles you owned on the first day of the tax year. Even if you no longer own the vehicles, even if you now own different vehicles, even if you now own no vehicles, you still pay tax based on what you owned on the first day of the year.

Why is my taxbill so high?
The amount of tax you owe each year is based on the value of the vehicles you owned on January 1st of that year. The value of the vehicles is established by the County Assessor using a standard rate book. The assessed value of your vehicles can be found in the upper center portion of your statement. Your bill is also determined by the city in which you reside.

May I pay personal and real estate tax with one check?
Yes. Please be sure to add them correctly and send the exact amount due. We cannot accept payments for the wrong amount. Be sure to include all payment stubs and write all bill numbers on your check.

Why is my bill higher than my friend's bill?
The tax is based on the value of the vehicles you own, not on the number of vehicles you own. It is common for a person with one more-expensive vehicle to owe more tax than another person with several less-expensive vehicles. Also, the levies in your taxing district must be considered.

I am no longer a Missouri resident. Do I still owe?
Yes. By state law, your tax obligation is established on January 1st. Even if you move to a different state the next day, you are still taxable for the year. You may move into Missouri January 2nd and not pay personal property taxes all year. You may move out of Missouri on January 2nd and pay personal property taxes for the entire year. The law makes no provision for pro-rating the tax bill.

How do I avoid paying late fees?
Please be sure that your payment is postmarked no later than December 31st. Payments postmarked after December 31st will be returned unprocessed unless late fees are included.

Real Estate Property Tax

back to top

I bought a home/plan to buy a home after September 1. How do I make sure that everything is recorded properly?
Anyone having a real estate transaction after September 1 will not get their real estate tax bill. Our office has faxed every real estate office, title company, bank, savings and loan, and mortgage loan company asking them to tell their clients purchasing homes from September through the end of the year that they must call our office (816-407-3200) to get the payment owed in order to make the December 31st deadline for payment. You as the current owner are responsible for all taxes due on the property. Please read below if the name of the previous owner is on your tax statement.

How do I estimate my property taxes?
Your property taxes are dependent on what city and school district you are living in, and what levies are passed for the tax year. Levies are also subject to approval by the State tax commission. A good way to get an rough idea of what your taxes are going to be is to look up what was paid the last year. You can enter your property's address at collector.claycogov.com. You should not forget to figure in the change of value notice that you may have received. You can find the change of value notices online at this address. Last but not least, if you need a very rough estimate, you may assume slightly higher than 1% of the current market value of your home (for recent purchases, that is the price you purchased it for).

Does Clay County have a "Circuit Break" or Homestead Exemption program for elderly or disabled citizens?
Please see details under the Missouri Homestead Preservation Credit, and the Missouri Property Tax Credit. We would also like to mention that in 2004, Clay County voters approved a levy to fund the Clay County Senior Services, which also provides certain services to elderly citizens.

How do you calculate the assessed values for real estate and where does the money go to ?
The real estate tax depends on the levy rate in the community in which you live. Real estate for residential property is calculated at 19% of market value.  Commercial property is calculated at 32% of market value.  Agricultural property is based on 12% of productivity value.  Personal Property value is based on 33 1/3% of market value.  On Commercial real estate property only, a replacement tax of $1.59 per $100 assessed valuation is levied by Missouri law. Most of these monies (88%) go to your local school districts. 

Why is the proper name not on my tax statement?
On real estate tax statements, the person who owned the property January 1st is named unless the proper owner has had the title properly recorded prior to September 1st. If not, your name should be listed on next year's statement if properly recorded.

Who is responsible for paying the taxes?
The current owner is responsible for paying all taxes due on the property. Partial payments are not accepted. If you did not purchase the property until later in the year, the taxes should have been pro-rated and deducted from the selling price at closing or paid to you in cash by the previous owner. This should be handled at the time of closing.

Tax Sale

back to top

What property is currently being sold in the Tax Sale
The Clay County Collector's Office holds a tax sale only once a year by Missouri Statute. In case of questions regarding the procedure, please review the Collector's Office Tax Sale page for details.

When is the Tax Sale?
The Clay County Collector holds (by Statute) a Real Estate Tax Sale at 10:00 AM on the fourth Monday of August.

Why does the Clay County Collector hold a tax sale?
Missouri Statute 140.150 requires that all lands and lots on which taxes are delinquent and unpaid be subject to sale.

Moving into Clay County

back to top

How long do I have before Missouri License Plates must be obtained?
You have 30 days to obtain Missouri License Plates and a Missouri Drivers License.

What is needed to obtain Missouri Plates?
Title or registration to the vehicles, Missouri State Inspection Certificate, and a validated tax receipt from the Clay County Collector's Office or a waiver from the Clay County Assessor's Office located in Liberty or Gladstone. Important Note: Please be aware that various cities are requiring car stickers. Please contact your city to inquire whether you have to obtain stickers.

What is required to license vehicles in Clay County?
Title or registration, a Missouri State Inspection Certificate, and a copy of the tax receipt showing paid taxes from the County where you were a resident on January 1 of the previous year.

What is required to be put on the tax rolls of Clay County?
If you are a new resident, or have moved, you need to contact the Clay County Assessor's Office so that they can put you on the tax rolls.

Where do I pay the sales tax on a new vehicle?
You can pay sales tax at any license bureau in the State of Missouri.

When to Contact Us

back to top

• Change of address
• Not receiving one or more tax statements
• Help with figuring late fees

General questions concerning the collection process : Collector's Office: (816) 407-3200.

Pre-Mailing Checklist:

• Please return statement when remitting tax payment
• Do not write on statements
• Print bill or parcel numbers(s) on check
• Enclose check for the exact amount due
• Be sure the dollar number amount and the written dollar amount on your check are the same
• If paying after December 31st, be sure to write the check for the correct amount with interest and penalty. See Table A on your statement.
• SIGN YOUR CHECK !

Please allow 30 days for your paid receipt to be mailed to you.