A littler earlier than usual, bills for Hall County’s 84,000 property taxpayers are in the mail today.

The bills, which include taxes for the state, the county school board, solid waste and fire services total $119.8 million, according to tax officials.

In the past, tax bills have been mailed near the end of September, Tax Commissioner Keith Echols said.

But this year, bills are due in two equal installments, with the first due Oct. 1, according to a news release from the county.

The second installment is due by Dec. 1.

Taxpayers who fail to pay half of their bills by Oct. 1 will be charged 1 percent interest per month on half their bill amount.

If a taxpayer fails to send payment for the total amount by Dec. 1, the bill will be charged 1 percent interest each month until it is paid.

If the bill is not paid by February, the delinquent taxpayer will be charged a penalty equal to 10 percent of the tax bill.
Of the entire amount billed to the county’s taxpayers, Echols said he expects to collect about $115 million.

“We hope to get as much as possible,” Echols said.

But while county officials await the revenue from this year’s bills, delinquent taxpayers from tax years past have a chance to pay overdue bills without penalties and interest.

County officials have offered to waive the penalties and interest on overdue bills in an effort to scrape together a little more revenue in a tight budget year.

To be eligible for the waiver, taxpayers must be able to pay the entire principal amount on overdue bills.

They can apply for the waiver at the county tax commissioner’s office. The Board of Commissioners will vote on the waivers at its Oct. 13 meeting.

Times staff writer Ashley Fielding contributed to this report.