The semiannual installment of property and mobile home tax statements are being mailed today and will be arriving in mailboxes soon. The deadline to pay the first half of property taxes without penalty is September 30, 2022. A penalty of one and one half percent will attach to late payments beginning October 1, 2022.
“This is the busiest time of year for the Treasurer’s Office, so we recommend that residents pay their property taxes online, by mail, or use our drop box so they can avoid waiting in line,” said Linn County Treasurer Sharon Gonzalez. “For customers who prefer to make their payment in person, we recommend they don’t wait until the last few days. The number of customers in our office increases significantly in September and March when people are paying property taxes.”
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Pay Online
Pay property taxes online at iowataxandtags.org. Payment options include VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express credit cards or eCheck. If paying by eCheck, the online fee is only 30 cents. Credit card payments have a non-refundable service delivery fee added to the tax amount due for the service of paying taxes online with a credit card. Residents will have the opportunity to exit out of the payment process without completing the transaction if they choose to do so and pay by an alternate method. The County Treasurer’s Office does not receive any portion of the transaction fee.
Pay by Mail
Mail property tax payments to the Linn County Treasurer, 935 2nd St. SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404. Payments postmarked by September 30, 2022 will be considered paid on time and no interest will be charged. The U.S. Postal Service postmark is the only date recognized for date of mailing. The date written on a check or a business metered date cannot be accepted as proof of the mailing date. To ensure proper credit, the stub portion of the tax statement must be submitted with the payment. Residents who would like a receipt must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with their payment.
Drop Box Payment
Property tax payments can be dropped off in the white drop box located outside the entrance to the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 935 2nd St. SW in Cedar Rapids. Please do not place cash payments in the drop box outside. Cash payments may be deposited in the drop box inside the Public Service Center lobby during normal business hours. To ensure proper credit, the stub portion of the tax statement must be submitted with payment. Residents who would like a receipt must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with their payment.
Pay in Person
Property taxes can be paid in person at the Linn County Treasurer’s Office at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center, 935 2nd St. SW in Cedar Rapids, Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Parking is available at the Public Service Center and on the street. (Due to staff development training, hours are 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month.)
Check the current average wait time in the Treasurer’s Office lobby.
Pay Over the Phone
Property taxes can be paid over the phone by calling the Linn County Treasurer’s Office at 319- 892-5500 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Phone hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month. Phone payments can be made with eCheck or credit cards. Due to the high volume of calls, phone hold times could exceed 30 minutes.
Email / Text Message Reminders
Property owners can sign up to receive an email or text message reminder to pay the fall and spring installments of property taxes. The email or text message will serve as a reminder that the payment is due.
Distribution of Property Taxes
County Treasurers collect property taxes on behalf of all jurisdictions in the county and then distribute the taxes collected. Approximately 16 percent of property taxes paid by Linn County property owners in incorporated areas are used to fund Linn County government operations and services. The remaining 84 percent of property taxes goes to the property taxpayer’s city of residence, school district and other taxing bodies in the county. Linn County taxes represent slightly more than one-third of property taxes for rural residents.
See the reverse side of your property tax statement for a detailed breakdown by percentage and actual dollar amount of how your individual property taxes are distributed among the various taxing jurisdictions.
Where Do Property Taxes Go?
Watch this 60-second video from the Iowa State Association of Counties to learn where property taxes go.