Comments on: Does your local government have online payment for taxes? http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2006/12/16/does-your-local-government-have-online-payment-for-taxes/ Personal finance, commentary, and spending less the easy way Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:24:44 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Mike http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2006/12/16/does-your-local-government-have-online-payment-for-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-20965 Mike Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:35:05 +0000 http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2006/12/16/does-your-local-government-have-online-payment-for-taxes/#comment-20965 When it comes to the water bill, the city doesn't offer any electronic payment options. My bill runs a bit under $30/month, and I pay it about 6 months at a time (in advance), whenever I get a bill showing a balance due instead of a credit balance. First time I did this I got a call from the billing office wondering what I meant to do with the extra money, so I write a note "excess payment to account credit". The cost of the interest I lose is easily made up the cost of the stamps I save -- $.39 on a $180 balance for the first month is 2.6% annualized interest, and tax free as well. And every month as the balance drop the effective return increases, to over 12% on the last month. Valuable. Not having to write a check every month -- priceless. When it comes to the water bill, the city doesn’t offer any electronic payment options. My bill runs a bit under $30/month, and I pay it about 6 months at a time (in advance), whenever I get a bill showing a balance due instead of a credit balance. First time I did this I got a call from the billing office wondering what I meant to do with the extra money, so I write a note “excess payment to account credit”.

The cost of the interest I lose is easily made up the cost of the stamps I save — $.39 on a $180 balance for the first month is 2.6% annualized interest, and tax free as well. And every month as the balance drop the effective return increases, to over 12% on the last month. Valuable.

Not having to write a check every month — priceless.

]]> By: Mike http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2006/12/16/does-your-local-government-have-online-payment-for-taxes/comment-page-1/#comment-20962 Mike Sun, 17 Dec 2006 15:23:52 +0000 http://www.mightybargainhunter.com/2006/12/16/does-your-local-government-have-online-payment-for-taxes/#comment-20962 My county does allow online credit card payments. But there is a 2.99% (why not 3%) convenience charge. They also offer an echeck option for $1 which isn't so bad since a stamp would cost $.39 anyway. In my case, I put a check in the mail, but I got my bill in plenty of time. Or I could have downloaded a .pdf of the bill and sent it in. My county does allow online credit card payments. But there is a 2.99% (why not 3%) convenience charge. They also offer an echeck option for $1 which isn’t so bad since a stamp would cost $.39 anyway.

In my case, I put a check in the mail, but I got my bill in plenty of time. Or I could have downloaded a .pdf of the bill and sent it in.

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