Unpaid 2016 property taxes become delinquent on Saturday, April 1, Tax Collector’s Office reminds public

3% penalty added to delinquent real estate tax bills after March 31

Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates holds an award she recently received from a state organization. Contributed photo

Anyone who has not paid his or her 2016 property taxes in Sarasota County is being reminded not to let the Friday, March 31, deadline pass, or the person will face an additional charge, Sarasota County Tax Collector Barbara Ford-Coates has announced.

Ford-Coates is urging taxpayers to take advantage of the various easy payment options available by March 31. Visit www.SarasotaTaxCollector.com for more information, she notes in a news release.
“The penalty for missing the deadline is no small matter and could even lead to the loss of a person’s property,” the release stresses. For delinquent real estate property taxes, taxpayers must add 3% to their payments after March 31, the release points out. For example, a typical $1,500 tax bill would jump to $1,545 on April 1, the release notes.
Accounts unpaid as of May 1 are charged an additional advertising fee and are advertised in a local newspaper, the release adds. “If the taxes remain unpaid, the amount due will increase substantially on June 1,” the release says.