DeKalb County property owners will soon be receiving their tax notices for the year 2017 bearing the “Green” school color of Northside Elementary. Last year it was DeKalb Middle School “Blue” and two years ago it was DCHS “Black and Gold”.
“Picture the flight of an eagle soaring between Heaven and the tops of the most lush, green layers of the rainforest. That was the vision I received when I thought about what color to use on the new 2017 property tax notices. Since 2015, I started using the colors of our great schools here in DeKalb County and this year is no exception. So when the color “Green” came to mind, I decided to represent the Northside Elementary Eagles for 2017,” said Trustee Sean Driver.
Property taxes will be due and payable starting on October 2, 2017 through February 28, 2018 before any interest becomes due on March 1, 2018.
“Your notice will be the color “Green” on an 8 1/2 X 11 sheet of paper, with information on the front and back. For 2017, the tax rate stayed the same as the 2016 tax year at 1.8335% of $100.00 of your assessed value,” said Trustee Driver.
The Trustee’s office offers at this time up to 6 different options to pay your property tax:
( 1.) Come in person to the office to pay,
( 2.) Mail in your payment
( 3.) Pay online at www.tennesseetrustee.org, then select DeKalb and follow the instructions to the next screens. The Vendor (Business Information Systems) accepts Discover, MasterCard, Visa, or American Express. The Vendor convenience fee of 2.75% on the total tax bill will apply and fees are subject to change for using credit/debit cards. Also, a $2.75 fee will be assessed on an e-check payment of any amount.
(4.) A QR (Quick Response Code) is also on your notice to access the website www.tennesseetrustee.org.
(5.) A Dropbox is located on the outside of the building at the County Complex (County Offices Section) for your convenience after hours or on weekends.
(6.) Partial Payments are accepted and you the taxpayer sets the amount to pay.
“Take a good look at your property tax bill and study what we offer in the trustee’s office and to where the property taxes are being spent on the pie chart on the back of the notice,” Driver said.
Eligible taxpayers may also qualify for the Tennessee State Tax Relief Program.
This program was implemented in 1973 and it has a few changes every year. For the 2017 tax year, you can qualify for Tax Relief if:
(a.) Your DeKalb County home is your primary residence,
(b.) You are 65 years old (or older) as of December 31, 2017, or totally and permanently disabled as by the SSA or another qualifying agency, and
(c.) Your 2016 Annual Income of all persons on the deed and their spouses did not exceed $29,180.00.
“If the State of Tennessee qualifies you for a Tax Relief, then you can receive a rebate up to $124.00 for 2017. You must pay your 2017 tax bill IN FULL to start the application,” Trustee Driver explained.
The State of Tennessee also offers Tax Relief for Disabled Veterans and the surviving spouses of a disabled veteran.
“You must provide proof from the Veteran’s Administration that you have a 100% service-connected disability. You or your spouse will NOT have to report any income to apply as a disabled veteran or the widow or widower of a disabled veteran. If the State of Tennessee qualifies you as a disabled veteran or the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, then you can receive a rebate up to $802.00”
“The Trustee’s office will start accepting applications for the Tax Relief Program on October 2, 2017 through April 5, 2018. If you would like to inquire more about a possible tax relief, come by the County Complex in the Trustee’s office at 732 S Congress Blvd-Room 103, Smithville, TN 37166 or call us at 615-597-5176,” Trustee Driver concluded.
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