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1. What is the current tax rate?

Motor Vehicle Tax Rate is $18.71 per thousand of assessed value. A $3,000 deduction pro-rated at 365 days is applied to each vehicle. Real Estate Tax Rate and the Tangible/Personal Property Tax Rate is $14.45 per thousand of assessed value for residential and commercial property. Retail and Wholesale Inventory is exempt from assessment as of December 31, 2006.

2. I escrow my taxes or I have refinanced my mortgage or my mortgage has been sold and I am escrowing with a different company now?

Tax bills are sent directly to lending institutions. If you escrow your taxes, as soon as possible after July 1, you should contact your lending institution to verify that they will be making payments on your behalf. The Town provides tax information to escrow agents electronically and only upon request.

3. Is there a grace period after the due date for quarter payment of taxes before I am charged interest?

If the first installment or any succeeding installment payment is received or postmarked by the last day of the month following the last date for payment of each quarterly installment or for payment in full, if under $100.00, no interest for late payment will be charged provided that all prior quarters and tax bills for prior years are paid in full.

First quarter due:   Aug. 1 – Aug. 31         Delinquent after August 31

Second quarter due: Nov. 1 – Nov. 30      Delinquent after November 30

Third quarter due:     Feb. 1 – Feb. 28      Delinquent after February 28

Fourth quarter due:   May 1 – May 31       Delinquent after May 31

4. What periods do tax bills cover?

Please see the Periods Covered page.

5. Why can’t I register my car online?

If your motor vehicle registration renewal form indicates that you have unpaid taxes due in the Town of South Kingstown, you cannot renew your registration on-line because you must pay the outstanding taxes to the Tax Collector and then obtain an approval stamp on your vehicle registration form prior to being eligible for renewal.

6. Why did I get a motor vehicle tax bill for a car I don't own anymore?

Motor vehicle excise taxes are charged for the period that the vehicle was registered during the previous calendar year. All motor vehicle information is provided to the Town by the Rhode Island Registry of Motor Vehicles. Taxation will continue until the registration expires or the license plates have been turned into the Rhode Island Registry of Motor Vehicles.

7. What if I don’t receive a tax bill?

Rhode Island General Laws state that “Failure by the Tax Collector to send or failure by the taxpayer to receive a notice shall not excuse the nonpayment of the tax or affect its validity or any proceedings for the collection of the tax.” Tax bills are mailed out at the beginning of July each year. If you do not receive a bill, please contact the Tax Collector’s Office to request a copy.

8. I escrow my taxes. Why didn’t receive a copy of my tax bill?

Please see the Copies of Tax Bills page.

9. When are tax payments due?

Please see the Due Dates and Penalties page.

10. What information will be needed to make a credit card payment?

Please see the Debit/Credit Card Payments Information page.

11. What if a tax payment is late?

If installments are not paid by the last day of the month following the last due date of the respective installment period or periods as they occur, then the whole tax or remaining unpaid balance of the tax as the case may be, shall immediately become due and payable and shall carry until collected a penalty at the rate of 12% per annum from August 1^st.  Upon payment of any and all delinquent quarterly installments together with interest accrued on the full unpaid balance of the tax, the right to pay the remaining taxes on the installment basis will be reinstated.

12. Does the Town accept payment with a credit or debit card?

Yes, the Town of South Kingstown accepts real estate, motor vehicle, tangible tax and utility payments via credit or debit card. Payments are accepted either via the internet and providing your account number and pin number located at the top of the tax bill. Taxpayers have the option to pay their tax bills by major credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover) or by debit card with the Visa or MasterCard logo.

Online Payments

13. Why is there a fee for using a credit card to pay taxes?

Many merchants accepting credit or debit cards are willing to pay the fees charged by credit card companies in order to provide that service to its customers. As a municipality, we do not have the option of paying those fees since we must collect the full amount of the tax bill. Therefore, when a taxpayer uses a credit card, the fees must be charged over and above the amount of the bill being paid. A convenience fee is charged for processing each debit or credit card transaction as payment to a third party credit card processing service provider for accepting and processing the payment. The fee also covers the cost of the operation of a toll-free telephone and Web-based, Online system for accepting payment. This convenience fee is charged directly to the taxpayer as a separate charge on their cardholder statement. The fee amounts to 3% of the payment amount or a minimum of $2.00. No part of the convenience fee is paid to the Town of South Kingstown.