Tax Collector
Town of Bethel
3454 Route 55
P.O. Box 561
White Lake, NY 12786
E-Mail: betheltaxcollector@hvc.rr.com
Telephone: (845) 583-4350 ext. 108
Fax: (845) 583-4710
2024 Office Hours: CLOSED AS OF APRIL 1, 2024. Please email for a response.
DO NOT SEND ANY TAX PAYMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BETHEL
Questions?
Please email the Tax Collector at BethelTaxCollector@hvc.rr.com or call the tax office with any questions at (845) 583-4350 ext. 108. NOTE: if you do call, please state your phone number slowly and clearly and repeat the number. We do not have caller id and sometimes calls cannot be returned as the phone number left in the message is impossible to understand.
Tax Collector Duties
The Tax Office is responsible for the collection of property taxes for approximately 7,556 parcels. All powers and duties of this office, as well as collection procedures, are statutory and defined in the New York State Real Property Tax Law. We welcome any inquires pertaining to collection policies as well as general tax information. We offer our assistance to residents, realtors, lending institutions, title companies, and other entities that may require tax information. The tax roll is available for public inspections upon request.
The Town of Bethel Tax Collector is a two-year elected position. Before entering upon the duties of the office, it is required that all tax collecting officers take and subscribe the Constitutional oath of office. Once the Collector has taken the oath, he/she becomes the insurer and guarantor of all monies, securities, papers and records that the law provides shall be in their custody.
The Bethel Tax Collector's Office is now CLOSED. To pay any past due amount or to find out how much you owe call the Sullivan County Treasurer after April 22, 2024 at (845) 807-0200.
DO NOT SEND ANY TAX PAYMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BETHEL
See Legal Notice at bottom of this page and inserted with your tax bill.
ACCESSING TAX BILLS (VIEW ONLY):
To view your tax bill, please read the following instructions BEFORE going to the Total Collection Solution website:
1. Click on this link for: Total Collection Solution
2. Log-in with username and password:
Username: bethelpublic
Password: public
(both are case sensitive, lower case only)
3. Click on the BILLS tab in the third column from left.
4. When the next screen opens, enter your last name only in the OWNER column, fifth column from left. Hit Enter.
(Note: If your property is not listed by your last name, for example, if you are owned by a trust, you may need to search by your Section/Block/Lot Number)
5. When the list of properties open, check all the boxes to the far left of your name to open each bill. Hit Enter.
6. Click on REPORTS (middle, right side)
7. Click on Town & County Tax Bill Bethel Your tax bill will appear.
8. After April 15, 2025 Click on Statement of Delinquent Taxes for amount to be paid to the Sullivan County Treasurer.
DO NOT SEND ANY TAX PAYMENTS TO THE TOWN OF BETHEL
Previous years Tax Bills
can be found online at www.taxlookup.net Click on Sullivan (county), then Bethel. Enter search data in one of the fields (last name, address, bill number or Section Block & Lot).
Unpaid Taxes
After March 31st, all unpaid parcels are turned over to Sullivan County for collection.
The property tax bill contains levies for the Town, County, Fire District, and any special districts. In addition, if school or sewer bills are unpaid, they will be re-levied on the Property Tax Bill.
Escrow Accounts
The failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law, (New York State Real Property Tax Law §922). If you should have received a bill, but have not during the first week of January, please contact this office for a duplicate bill.
Many residents have their taxes escrowed with lending institutions. It is the lending institution’s responsibility to notify the town for which they are responsible for paying. Many banks contract with Tax Service Organizations (TSO), which are agencies that service escrow accounts for the banks. These organizations provide us with a listing of their customers and their identifying account numbers. The larger organizations do this primarily by computer disc/thumbdrive. In the event that a resident received a bill that should have gone to the bank, it is still the responsibility of the bank to call for that bill. If the bill should have gone to the homeowner, but went to the bank, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to know that taxes are due. Please call our office immediately and we will issue you a duplicate bill.
Third Party Notices
To assist our elderly and disabled residents, third party notification of tax bills is offered. Property owners who are disabled or 65 years of age or older , and own a one, two, or three family home, may designate an adult consenting third party to receive duplicate copies of tax bills and notices of unpaid taxes. In order to receive this service, one must fill out a third party notification form RP-923, which is available in the Tax Office or by clicking on this link: Third Party Notification
School Taxes
The Bethel Tax Office does not mail or collect School District Taxes. School Tax Bills are mailed in early September. The due date is specified on the bill. Please contact the school tax office with any questions you may have regarding School Taxes. As of November 15th all unpaid School Tax bills are turned over to Sullivan County and are re-levied onto the following years Property Tax Bill with an additional penalty.
Liberty School Taxes and Sullivan West School Taxes are posted at on www.taxlookup.net
Monticello School taxes are available at www.infotaxonline.com
1. I never received my bill, or received it late; do I still have to pay the penalty?
Yes, the failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law (New York State Real Property Tax Law §922). In addition, neither the Tax Collector nor any other official has legal authority to waive statutory penalty charges. These are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law. If they are waived, the collecting officer will be personally responsible. As all records are audited by State examiners, there is absolutely no discretion in this matter. The Constitution and the law of the State mandates the procedure.
2. If I mail my payment on the due date do I have to pay a penalty?
No. New York State Real Property Tax Law §925, provides as follows: “Payment of taxes by mail, when enclosed in a postpaid wrapper (envelope) properly addressed to the appropriate collecting officer and is deposited in a post office or official depository under the exclusive care and custody of the United States Post Office shall, upon delivery, be deemed to have been made to such officer on the date of the United States Postmark on such wrapper. The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of postmarks not made by the United States Post Office. A postage meter postmark is not a postmark made by the United States Post Office and, therefore, is not within in the provisions of Real Property Tax Law §925. Payments can not be deemed timely because of a postage meter postmark date on an envelope containing a tax payment (Op. New York State Comp. 69-170).
If taxes are not received until after the due date, they are not paid until after the due date unless they fall squarely within the provisions of section 925 of the Real Property Tax Law, and the penalty must be added and collected. No Town Official or employee can waive the penalty (Op. New York State Comp. 68-626).
3. Do you accept payment with credit cards?
Yes. Credit Card Payments or E-checks are accepted online only. There is a bank surcharge added and will be calculated before your complete your checkout. (See insert with your tax bill or legal notice below.
4. Can I pay my taxes in installments?
See insert with your tax bill or legal notice below.
5. Can I pre-pay my taxes? No, the warrant constitutes the mantle of authority for the collecting officer to receive the taxes. Therefore, the warrant must be regarded as the instrument which empowers the collecting officer to begin the collection. Collection authority can not begin prior to the date of the warrant.
6. What if my mailing address changes? Address changes must be made in writing. Notify either the Tax Office or the Assessor’s Office by mail, e-mail or fax if you wish to change your mailing address by clicking on this link Address Change Request
7. What if my mortgage is paid up?In order to make sure you will receive the tax bills prior to the penalty period (February for Town/County Taxes), you must notify the Tax Office in your Town. Send or fax a copy of the “Satisfaction of Mortgage” letter from your lender.
8. How do I apply for exemptions?
All exemptions are handled by the Assessor’s Office. Any questions, please call Assessor at (845) 583-4350 ext 103 or 104 or e-mail bethelassessor@hvc.rr.com
9. Why don’t I see the STAR exemption?
The basic STAR exemption only affects your School Tax portion of your primary residence.
10. Why do I have to pay for a second notice?
If taxes have not been paid during the 30 days following the period when the taxes could have been paid without any interest or penalty, then on or after the 31st day following such interest-free period, the collecting officer is required to send a notice of delinquent taxes to the mailing address of the owner. A duplicate copy of this notice must also be sent to the third party as requested according to Real Property Tax Law, 923. The notice must be sent not later than 85 days after expiration of the interest free period, or 15 days prior to expiration of the warrant whichever is earlier. The town board has adopted a local law or resolution imposing the $2 to be added to the taxes, to cover cost of mailing of each such notice under section 987(1). When the town board requires this charge, it becomes part of the total amount due and cannot be waived.
Copyright © 2024 townofbethelny.us - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy