More taxpayers opting for web payments

Online tax payments to the City of Decatur increased by 70 percent during our last fiscal year compared to the prior year. From July 2015 through June 2016, the city received over 1,600 web payments (credit card or e-check) for property taxes in excess of $4 million. The year before that, the city received 945 web payments for $2 million in taxes. The city has also experienced a 60 percent increase in the number of businesses renewing their license online with 18 percent of businesses now choosing to pay that way.

Paying online at www.decaturgatax.com has several advantages over sending checks through the mail or using an online bill paying service through a personal bank account. If you currently pay your taxes online through your personal bank account, we encourage you to consider switching to pay with an e-check directly through our website. At www.decaturgatax.com, you can access a full copy of your tax bill, while most major online banking services do not provide detailed bills. Secondly, using an online bill paying feature through your personal bank account may not allow you to include your property ID and tax year with your payment, which are the two essential pieces of information we need to post your payment to your account in a timely and accurate fashion. (Paying with an e-check through our website automatically provides the city with the property ID and tax year information.) Lastly, the e-check service we use is truly electronic, and no paper checks are generated or printed during the process, but with your online bill pay checks, we actually receive those checks as paper. 

Taxpayers should be aware that e-checks, like paper checks, generally take three to five days to clear the bank. It is not an immediate debit like online credit card transactions. Considering the clearing period, e-check payers are encouraged to pay at least five days prior to any formal payment deadline to help prevent any last-minute stress over whether your payment was received on time.

As part of the city's ongoing commitment to provide customers with electronic options, Decatur also accepts online payments for recreation programs, after-school and summer camp registration, parking tickets, commercial sanitation services, and storm water drainage fees.