[Archived] Personal Property Tax Payment Deadline is Oct 5

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

For Immediate Release
September 14, 2004
PIO 218-04/bg

Alexandria Vehicle Owners Must Pay Personal Property Taxes by Oct 5
Automobile Decals Should be Removed from Back of Tax Bills and Applied to Front Windshields

By now, Alexandria vehicle owners should have received their personal property tax bills in the mail. Vehicle owners who met the criteria for the Advance Decal Program may have noticed that the automobile windshield decals were attached to the back of these tax bills. The City simplified the vehicle decal process as part of a new customer service initiative, as well as, to reduce costs. In previous years, vehicle owners were required to pay personal property taxes before the City issued a vehicle decal. This process required a mass mailing of tax bills followed by a mass mailing of vehicle decals.

However, this year, if prior year personal property taxes were paid, a red 2004-05 automobile windshield decal was attached to the back of the 2004 personal property tax bill. The new decal was redesigned for easy removal from the windshield next year. For easy placement this year, carefully peel the decal from the back of the tax bill and attach it to the inside of the front windshield, � inch to the right of the Virginia safety inspection decal. In addition to the automobile windshield decal, vehicle owners living in a residential parking district also received a residential parking permit decal enclosed with the personal property tax bill. It is very important for vehicle owners living in a residential parking district to attach the automobile decal to the front windshield and the residential parking permit decal to the driver’s side rear bumper.

Please note that owners of motorcycles, trailers and taxis will continue to receive the vehicle decals after payment of the personal property tax, as in previous years. Due to their unique design and numbering, the decals for these vehicles require special handling.

Even if an automobile decal was received with the personal property tax bill, please remember to pay the total amount due printed on the tax bill by October 5 to avoid late payment penalty and interest charges. The City offers the following convenient methods for paying the personal property tax:

q Pay by mail using the enclosed envelope, or mail payment to Treasurer’s Office, Department of Finance, Department 710, Alexandria, VA 22334-0710.
q Pay by eCheck online at alexandriava.gov to have the payment electronically deducted from the specified checking or savings account. There is no additional fee for using this service.
q Pay in person at the Treasury Division, City Hall, 301 King St., Room 1510. Office Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, except holiday weekends. A dropbox located on the Royal Street side of City Hall is also available 24 hours a day.
q Pay with a Discover card in person at the Treasury Division, or by calling 703-838-4777, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Depending on the amount of the credit card transaction, a service fee between $5 and $48 will be assessed by Discover for using this service.
q Pay with a Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling 1-800-272-9829, or online at alexandriava.gov. Depending on the amount of the credit card transaction, a convenience fee will be assessed by Official Payments Corporation for using this service. The City’s jurisdiction code is 1007.
q Pay at any SunTrust Bank branch located in the City. SunTrust Bank will only accept payment of the total amount printed on the personal property tax bill until 2 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2004.

For information on assessments, appeals, late filing penalty, the Personal Property Tax Relief Act, or to request a tax bill, please call the Personal Property Branch at 703-838-4560. For information on payments, late payment penalty and interest, please call the Treasury Division at 703-838-4777. Si usted requiere asistencia en Espanol, por favor al 703-519-6506, extension 693.