Thursday, July 19, 2012

New tool allows deputies to go after car owners who owe taxes

How long before this method is used to collect Federal and State taxes?

Pay up or risk having your car seized and sold at auction—that’s the new warning to drivers who haven’t paid their Mecklenburg County vehicle tax bill. The new tool to raise the collection rate while reducing the excuse rate is two deputy vehicles equipped with cameras and license plate recognition software.

Deputies drive the cars around the county looking for delinquent taxpayers and place a warning sticker on the cars. "It's a very expensive tax on my car,” said driver Christian Hindley. The tax bill is not the favorite notice Hindley gets every year in the mail.  It costs him $400 per year.

"The law is the law, taxes are taxes, you have to pay them,” he said. The problem is thousands don't pay or haven't so far and it is costing Mecklenburg County $9 million over roughly the last two years, according to Mecklenburg County Tax Collector Neal Dixon.

The county would prefer to have that money in its coffers to cover tight budgets. Now, squad cars checking public streets, parking lots and ramps will scan license plates and issue warnings to vehicle owners who are at least five months delinquent on their vehicle tax bill.  Read more >>

No comments:

Post a Comment