Modifies provisions relating to payments of real and personal property taxes
Summary
HB 388 repeals and reenacts Missouri’s property tax payment statute to allow county governing bodies to offer taxpayers the option to pay current real and personal property taxes on an annual, semiannual, or quarterly basis. The bill applies to taxes owed for the current year and leaves the timing and collection procedures to be set by county ordinance or order, subject to the county collector’s proposed procedures.
Under the bill, the county must estimate the current year’s tax liability using the prior year’s liability, divide that estimate across the chosen payment schedule, and reconcile at year-end. Taxpayers who underpay must pay the balance due, while taxpayers who overpay are entitled to a refund of the excess, with no interest paid on overpayments. If a taxpayer misses an installment, the county may charge interest on the unpaid amount. The bill also excludes certain real property tax payments made by financial institutions servicing escrow accounts from this installment-payment option.
Impact
HB 388 would change state law by replacing the existing property-tax installment payment provision in section 139.053, RSMo, with a revised version that broadens county flexibility and clarifies how installment billing, estimates, refunds, and delinquency interest are handled. It affects county governing bodies, county collectors, and taxpayers who choose to pay property taxes in installments, while preserving a carveout for mortgage-related escrow payments handled by financial institutions.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been received favorably and without controversy in the House, passing third reading by consent with 143 yeas and 0 nays. The lack of recorded committee discussion and the unanimous vote suggest broad agreement that the measure is a practical administrative change rather than a contentious policy shift.
Contention
No notable opposition is reflected in the available record. The main policy choices in the bill are administrative: whether counties should offer installment payment options, how they estimate taxes, and whether taxpayers should receive interest on overpayments. The only explicit limitation is the exclusion of escrow-based payments by financial institutions, but no dispute over that carveout is shown in the vote or transcript record.