Tax Questions and Answers

CAN I SEND ONE CHECK FOR ALL MY BILLS?

Yes, you can send one check for the bills that you receive.  Mail your check to: 

Remittance address during the months of July and January only:

Town of Columbia
Dept # 347
PO Box 150512
Hartford, CT 06115-0512

Standard mailing address for the Tax Collector, Town of Columbia, CT:

Town of Columbia
Tax Collector
323 Route 87
Columbia, CT 06237-1156

Category: Tax FAQs
WHAT FORMS OF PAYMENT WILL YOU TAKE?

If you are paying directly in the Tax Office, the tax office accepts cash, personal checks, money orders or certified checks.  

Category: Tax FAQs
WHAT IF I’M MISSING A BILL?

If you are missing a tax bill please call the tax office at 860-228-0230. Failure to receive a tax bill does not void the tax and/or interest charges.

Category: Tax FAQs
WHAT IS THE CURRENT MILL RATE?

The current mill rate is 25.91 on the Grand List of 2022. One mill produces one dollar for each $1,000 of property assessment.

Category: Tax FAQs
WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DOES MY BILL COVER?

The real estate bill you pay on July 1st covers the time period of July 1st through December 31st. When you pay the January installment taxes are paid through June 30th.

Motor vehicle bills issued in July are for the time period of the previous October 1st through September 30th of this year.

Supplemental motor vehicle taxes are due January 1st and represents ownership from the time you registered with the DMV through September 30th.

Category: Tax FAQs
WHAT TYPES OF PROPERTY ARE SUBJECT TO LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES?

1.    Motor Vehicle:

All motor vehicles registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Motor Vehicles purchased between October 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023, will receive a bill in January pro-rated to the time it was purchased.

If you no longer possess the motor vehicle being taxed please contact the Assessor’s office at 860-228-9555.  Do not ignore the bill. Even if your vehicle has been sold, salvaged, wrecked, or stolen and the plates have been turned into the DMV, if the paperwork does not go through to the Assessor's office it is still your responsibility to notify them. You may receive a credit, and you have limited time to act.  Please do this during the month of July. The last day to pay without penalty will remain August 1, 2023 on adjusted bills.

If you have moved to a different town in Connecticut, please make sure your motor vehicle registrations are changed at DMV to your current address in order to make sure that the correct town receives the information. 

Effective May 6, 2014 a $1.00 fee will be charged for each delinquent Motor Vehicle reported to DMV.

 

2.    Real Estate:

All real property listed on the current grand list.

If the bill you receive is for real estate which you no longer own, please return the tax bill to the Tax Collector as soon as possible.

If your mortgage lender requests and pays your real estate tax bill it will be sent to them. If you receive your real estate bill please forward the bill to them for payment.

If you qualify for a veteran’s exemption, please be sure the proper information is on file in the Town Clerk’s office.

 

3.    Personal Property:

Includes primary business equipment, commercial furniture and fixtures, and unregistered motor vehicles. Please contact the Assessor’s office at 860-228- 9555 with questions regarding your personal property bill.

Category: Tax FAQs
WHEN ARE TAXES DUE?

Taxes are due July 1st and January 1st of each year. If your real estate or personal property bill is under $250.00 for the year, the entire amount is due July 1st. Motor Vehicle bills are due in one installment on July 1st.  Supplemental Motor Vehicle taxes are due January 1st.

Category: Tax FAQs
WHEN WOULD MY PAYMENT BE CONSIDERED LATE?

All property tax bills are due and payable on July 1, 2023.  Payments must be paid or postmarked on or before August 1, 2023 to avoid interest charges. Interest begins accruing from the due date, July 1, 2023.   An interest rate of 1½% per month or a total of 18% per year is applied to unpaid balances. Example: if payment is made or postmarked August 2 and is made in the month of August use 3%. Minimum interest charges are $2.00 for each individual motor vehicle tax bill unpaid. Example: your bill includes 3 motor vehicles. Each vehicle tax will accrue an interest penalty separately, not on the total of the 3 bills. The January payment must be paid or postmarked on or before February 1, 2024.

Category: Tax FAQs
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