Columbia county tax collector
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You may call us at 386-758-1077 or you can send us a message.
Columbia County Tax Collector’s Office
PROPERTY TAX SERVICES
Property Taxes
Find your tax bill and choose how to pay.
Understand discounts, payment plans, and where to get help.
The regular annual bill offers a 4% November discount, decreasing monthly through February.
Regular annual taxes are due by March 31 and generally become delinquent April 1.
Use the owner name, address, or account number to find your property-tax record.
Search & pay your taxes
Use Columbia County’s property-tax portal to find your account by owner name, address, or account number. Check the property, tax year, and amount due before paying.
Payment options
- Online or by phone: follow the payment service’s instructions and review the transaction charge.
- In person: current taxes may be paid by cash, check, or card at our offices.
- By mail: send payment with the account information to our Lake City mailing address. Follow the bill’s payment instructions.
- Lake City convenience options: property-tax payments are also accepted through the drive-through and payment drop box.
What processing fees apply?
Our published payment information lists a 2.5% card fee, with a $2 minimum, and a $1.50 e-check fee for online or phone payments. Confirm the final charge before submitting. The Tax Collector receives no portion of the card convenience fee.
My mortgage company pays through escrow
Confirm with your lender that it will pay the correct property and tax year. Check payment status and avoid a duplicate payment. Contact our office if the account still shows unpaid taxes and you expected an escrow payment.
Dates & early-payment discounts
For the regular annual tax bill, the following discounts apply when payment qualifies during the listed period.
| Payment month | Discount |
|---|---|
| November | 4% |
| December | 3% |
| January | 2% |
| February | 1% |
| March | None |
March 31: regular annual taxes must be paid by the deadline to avoid delinquency. Taxes generally become delinquent April 1.
Which amount should I pay?
Use the amount for the applicable payment period on your notice or the current amount shown for your account. Discounted amounts already include the reduction; do not subtract the discount again.
Does this schedule apply to every notice or payment plan?
Quarterly installments have their own discounts, and partial payments do not receive early-payment discounts. Corrected or delayed notices may have different dates. Follow your notice or call for the correct amount.
What if a deadline falls on a weekend or legal holiday?
Florida law provides next-working-day treatment for qualifying payments delivered to the designated collection office. Check the applicable notice and confirm timing with our office if the deadline is close.
Understand your property-tax bill
Your bill can include value-based taxes and service assessments. The Tax Collector collects the amounts certified on the tax roll.
Who handles what?
- Property Appraiser: determines assessed values, exemptions, classifications, ownership, and tax-roll mailing addresses.
- Taxing authorities: adopt budgets and millage rates. One mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.
- Tax Collector: issues tax bills, receives payments, and administers collection.
What are ad valorem taxes?
These taxes are based on taxable property value and the millage rates adopted by taxing authorities. Contact the Property Appraiser about the value or exemption information used to calculate your taxable value.
What are non-ad valorem assessments?
These are service or benefit assessments rather than taxes based on property value. Columbia County bills may include fire, solid-waste, paving, lighting, or other assessments depending on location. The responsible county, city, or district establishes the assessment.
What is tangible personal property tax?
Tangible personal property is a separate tax account, commonly involving business equipment and other taxable business assets. It is different from real-estate tax. Contact the Property Appraiser about reporting, valuation, or exemptions and the Tax Collector about payment.
I received a proposed-tax or TRIM notice
A Notice of Proposed Property Taxes is different from the Tax Collector’s annual payment bill. Review it promptly for values, exemptions, hearing dates, and deadlines. Contact the Property Appraiser about assessment concerns.
Quarterly installment plan
This plan lets eligible taxpayers prepay the tax year in four scheduled payments. Estimated taxes must exceed $100, and an application is required for each tax notice by April 30 of the year you elect to prepay.
| Payment due | Discount |
|---|---|
| June 30 | 6% |
| September 30 | 4.5% |
| December 31 | 3% |
| March 31, following year | None |
The first two installments use prior-year taxes as the estimate. Later installments adjust for the actual tax liability. The percentages above apply to each installment, not to the whole bill.
How do I enroll?
Complete the installment application with the property-account information, sign it, and submit it to our office by April 30. Confirm the tax year and account with staff. This is a prepayment plan, not a plan for overdue taxes.
Do I apply again each year?
Annual reapplication is generally unnecessary while you continue participating. If you leave the plan, a later return requires reapplication.
I missed an installment
Late first installments are accepted through July 31 without the June discount. Missing that participation deadline removes the account from the plan for that year. For a later missed installment, contact us for the correct catch-up amount and remaining schedule; discounts do not apply to overdue installments.
Partial payments on current taxes
Columbia County allows partial payments on current property taxes from November 1 through March 31. This option is separate from the quarterly prepayment plan.
- Contact our office to enroll and complete the partial-payment agreement.
- No early-payment discounts apply to partial payments.
- You are responsible for tracking each payment and the remaining balance.
- Pay the full remaining balance by March 31. No balance reminders are mailed before April 1 under the published local plan.
An unpaid balance becomes delinquent. Interest, costs, and collection procedures apply to the remaining amount. Partial payments do not prevent a certificate sale if real-estate taxes remain unpaid.
Can I use this plan for delinquent taxes?
No. This local option applies to current taxes before delinquency. Call our office for the current payoff and accepted payment method for an overdue account.
What happens in the following tax year?
The local agreement explains future-year quarterly installment enrollment. Ask staff how the change applies to your account and which notices to expect. Do not assume the current partial-payment arrangement continues unchanged.
Delinquent taxes, certificates & deeds
Regular annual property taxes generally become delinquent April 1. Interest and collection costs can change the amount due. Contact us for a current payoff rather than sending the amount from an old notice.
Unpaid real-estate taxes
Unpaid real-estate taxes can be included in the annual tax-certificate sale. A certificate represents a lien for unpaid taxes; it does not immediately transfer ownership. If the delinquency remains unresolved, a later tax-deed process can put ownership at risk.
How do I pay an overdue account?
Confirm the tax year, payoff date, payment method, and any certificate or tax-deed status with our office. Local published instructions require cash, money order, cashier’s check, or card for tax-certificate redemption. Do not assume a personal check is acceptable.
Can I use a payment plan after delinquency?
The current-tax partial-payment plan and quarterly prepayment plan do not provide installment treatment for delinquent taxes. Ask staff how to resolve the outstanding account and which tax years must be paid.
I received a tax-deed notice
Contact our office promptly for redemption status and instructions. Tax-deed deadlines and amounts require account-specific confirmation. Follow the notice and contact the Clerk of Court about a scheduled tax-deed sale.
Are tangible personal property delinquencies handled the same way?
No. Tangible personal property delinquencies can lead to tax warrants and court-authorized collection against the taxable assets. Contact our office about the amount and status of that account.
Exemptions & assistance
Homestead and other exemptions
The Property Appraiser determines eligibility for homestead, disability, widow/widower, veteran, senior, and other property-tax benefits, as well as agricultural classifications. Eligibility and documents vary.
Contact the Property Appraiser at (386) 758-1083. The usual filing deadline is March 1; ask that office about the applicable year, requirements, and any late-filing options.
I disagree with my value or exemption decision
Contact the Property Appraiser promptly and review the appeal deadlines on the notice. Florida’s Value Adjustment Board process has separate deadlines and requirements. A payment question and an assessment dispute may need different offices.
Is homestead tax deferral available?
Some eligible homestead owners may qualify to postpone part of their taxes based on income and other statutory conditions. Deferral is different from an exemption or discount. An annual application is filed with the Tax Collector, generally by March 31 following the assessment year.
Call our office to discuss eligibility, required records, interest, liens, and repayment conditions before applying.
Can I ask about assistance with service assessments?
Columbia County’s published assessment information describes income-based assistance and certain vacancy-related reductions. Call our office to confirm which program applies, current eligibility, and deadlines. These are separate from Property Appraiser exemptions.
Bills, records & changes
I did not receive a tax bill
Search the property-tax portal or call our office with the account number, owner name, or property address. Request help before the payment deadline rather than waiting for another bill.
How do I confirm payment or get a receipt?
Keep your payment confirmation and check the account after processing. If you need a paid-tax record or cannot confirm a payment, contact our office with the account number, tax year, payment date, and method.
How do I change the mailing address?
Permanent tax-roll mailing-address changes must be made with the Property Appraiser. You can also submit the Tax Collector’s address request for forwarding, but you remain responsible for confirming that the Property Appraiser updated the record.
Can I receive the annual notice by email?
Our office offers e-billing. The published process requires registration for each property account and email confirmation. Contact staff if you cannot find the enrollment option or need to update an existing registration.
Can another person receive a duplicate tax notice?
Our duplicate-notice program allows a copy to be requested for an additional recipient. The property owner remains responsible for payment. Complete the local request and contact us with questions about the arrangement.
I bought or sold the property
Verify that the bill identifies the correct account and property. Ask the Property Appraiser about ownership-record updates and review your closing documents or contact your closing agent about any tax proration. Call the Tax Collector to confirm the payment status.
Services
Kids Tag Art
Kids Tag Art is a fundraising project that inspires elementary grade art students and raises money for the school's art program. A special thanks goes out to our Platinum Sponsor- Nutrien and our Gold Sponsors- Edward Jones, Baya Pharmacy, Walmart Transportation, First Federal Bank, & LKQ!
