The Stanly County Tax Collector’s Office is responsible for collecting annual property tax bills on real estate, mobile homes, boats, business personal property, aircraft, etc. Also, the Collector’s Office is responsible for the collection of taxes that are levied by all of the municipalities in Stanly County. These bills are mailed in late July/early August with a discount of 1% available for those paying prior to September 1. The deadline for paying these taxes is January 5th of the next year. Beginning January 6th these taxes are considered delinquent and accrue interest at a rate of 2% for the month of January, plus ¾ % each month thereafter.
Registered motor vehicles billed August 2013 and prior are still collected at the Stanly County Tax Collector’s Office. Registered motor vehicles billed from September 2013 and after are collected by the NCDMV. State law has now changed to where you “prepay” your registered motor vehicle taxes at the same time you get your sticker renewed. See more information under the registered motor vehicles link.
Delinquent taxes are subject to collection action as authorized by the North Carolina General Statutes. These actions may include garnishment of wages, attachment of bank accounts, Debt Setoff of delinquent tax bills from individual North Carolina tax returns and lottery winnings, levy (seizure) of personal property, and foreclosure of real estate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Where do I go to pay my taxes?
Answer: Tax Collections is located on the first floor (Room 104) of the Stanly County Courthouse at 201 South Second Street in Albemarle, NC 28001 (See Directions Link on the left side of the home page). For your convenience, there is a drop box located at the rear of the Courthouse.
Question 2: May I pay my taxes online?
Answer: Yes. Go to www.stanlytax.com. This will take you to a third party site where you can view, print paid receipts, and pay taxes via credit card, PayPal, or e-check. There is a convenience fee for using this service.
Question 3: May I use a credit or debit card to pay my taxes?
Answer: Currently, we are set up to accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit cards and debit cards in our office location.
Question 4: May I pay my taxes with a personal check?
Answer: We accept checks made payable to the Stanly County Tax Collector on most accounts with the exception of motor vehicles that have been blocked by the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. These bills must be paid in cash, by money order, cashier’s check from the bank, or by credit or debit card. When paying by mail, please include a copy of your tax bill and/or the account number on your check. For your protection, please do not send cash through the mail or put in the drop box.
Question 5: May I make payments on my taxes?
Answer: In most cases, yes. Payments on taxes that are not delinquent are always accepted. Payment plans may be arranged on delinquent taxes only if no enforced collection action has been started. You can not make partial payments online.
Question 6: What if I find an error on my bill?
Answer: Please call us immediately if you see an error on the bill. For questions concerning motor vehicle bills such as incorrect values or situs (wrong fire district or city) you must call the Tax Assessor’s Office at 704-986-3626 within 30 days of the due date.
Question 7: When are delinquent real estate taxes advertised in the Stanly News and Press?
Answer: Delinquent real estate taxes are normally advertised in early March. Payments made up to two weeks prior to the advertising date may not be reflected due to newspaper print deadlines. There is an additional charge placed on your bill for advertisement.
Question 8: My mortgage company is supposed to pay my taxes each year. Is there anything I’m required to do?
Answer: You will normally receive the tax bill in July and in most cases your mortgage company will request a copy also. If you are unsure as to whether your tax bill has been paid please check with your mortgage company. Most mortgage companies pay the tax bill prior to September 1st to take advantage of the 1% discount offered by the county.
Question 9: Do I still owe the taxes if I have traded my car?
Answer: In most cases, yes. If you transferred the license tag for the old car to the new car, there will be no changes to the bill. If you sold your car and turned in the tag, you must bring us a copy of the receipt from the tag agency within 12 months from the date you turned it in. You may be eligible for a proration of your tax bill depending on how much “time” was left on the tag. This proration could mean a reduction of your bill or a refund of taxes already paid.
Question 10: What happens if I don’t pay my taxes?
Answer: Delinquent taxes are subject to collection action as authorized by the North Carolina General Statutes. These actions may include garnishment of wages, attachment of bank accounts, debt setoff of delinquent tax bills from individual North Carolina tax returns and lottery winnings, levy (seizure) of personal property, and foreclosure of real estate. There will be additional fees added to your bill when these actions are taken.
