Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

COURTLAND

Southampton County Commissioner of Revenue Amy B. Carr wants residents to be aware that personal property tax forms won’t be mailed this year. In October, she petitioned the board of supervisors to eliminate sending them via the U.S. Postal Service.

“Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, I believed this would benefit the citizens and employees of the commissioner’s office,” said Carr. ”This removes the need to physically return a form to our office in order to avoid a penalty for not filing.”

She noted that many residents want to hand delver the forms to ensure they won’t be penalized for not getting the form by the deadline.

A public hearing took place in November and the board voted for the county to become a “file by exception” locality. Residents’ personal property records will stay the same as it is on Jan. 1 this year, she said, “unless we receive a change from the Department of Motor Vehicles or you notify us of a change.”

Carr also emphasized, “If you own only items that are registered and maintained by DMV, such as cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, etc., you will no longer receive a form.”

Should residents get a taxable item not to be registered with the DMV, such as swimming pools, mobile homes or livestock, then they are to complete the electronic personal property form on the website, www.southamptoncounty.org, and submit to the commissioner within 30 days of purchase.

Forms will still be mailed to businesses and farmers near the first week of February, and those forms will be due by March 15. There will still be a penalty if the forms are not received by that date.

Further, residents might be eligible for a tax reduction if their vehicle has over 100,000 miles as of Jan. 1.

“If you need to report a vehicle with high mileage for the first time, please email the vehicle details and corresponding mileage to us by March 15,” stated Carr, adding that if you have reported high mileage in the past, it’s not required to notify the office each year as it’s kept on file. Email acarr@southamptoncounty.org or tsawyer@southamptoncounty.org.

Carr can also be contacted at 757-653-3030.