Emergency Notification From Polk Tax Collector

The office of Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder continues to serve the people of Polk County online via a new CHAT feature at PolkTaxes.com or by phone. For customers seeking assistance, a Customer Service Specialist is available Monday – Friday, from 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM at PolkTaxes.com via the CHAT feature, or by phone at (863) 534-4700 or (863) 581-8099. (EDITOR'S NOTE: Once offices reopened, the CHAT function was discontinued.)

Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder wants people to know the following:

In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency, the Tax Collector's Office for Polk County, Florida has provided or facilitated deadline extensions and related provisions, which include the following:

• Driver License/ID Cards: Pursuant to Emergency Executive Order 20-52 issued by the Governor, the effective period for all driver licenses and identification cards, expiring from March 16, 2020 through April 15, 2020, has been extended thirty (30) days. Given the aforementioned order, and in our consultation with our office, Polk County Sheriff's Office deputies are avoiding issuing citations related to driver licenses that expire during these dates, and similarly avoid issuing citations or taking criminal traffic enforcement action related to vehicle registrations and license tags that expire in the above referenced time period (30 days from expiration for those registration and plates expiring on March 16, 2020 through April 15, 2020).

• Property Taxes: The Tax Collector's Office has extended the real estate property tax and tangible personal property tax payment due date for the 2019 tax year from March 31, 2020 to April 15, 2020. Real estate property tax and tangible personal property taxes are normally due by March 31st in the year following the year the taxes are assessed. Pursuant to this extension, real estate property tax and tangible personal property tax payments made by April 15, 2020, for the 2019 tax year will be considered timely paid.

• 2019 Delinquent Real Estate Property Taxes & Certificate Sale/Auction: In order to avoid having 2019 delinquent real estate property taxes go to sale/auction, the Tax Collector has extended the time to pay 2019 delinquent real estate property taxes to no later than 5:00 PM, June 12, 2020. Note: The tax certificate sale/auction is conducted online and has been moved from its original date of Monday, June 1, 2020 to Monday, June 15, 2020.

• Commercial Driver Licenses: FLHSMV is extending expiring commercial driver licenses (CDL) and waiving commercial truck hours-of-service regulations and other related regulations so emergency supplies, equipment, commodities and resources for the state's response to COVID-19 can be moved more quickly and efficiently throughout the state.

• Real ID Compliance: The Department of Homeland Security is extending the REAL ID enforcement deadline for driver licenses from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021. This means individuals who do not have a "gold star" on their Florida driver license or I.D. now have an additional year to become Real ID compliant.

• Tourist Development Tax Payment: In consideration of Emergency Order 20-52-DOR-002, the Tax Collector is extending the tourist development tax payment deadlines as follows: Tourist development tax remittances/returns due no later than April 20, 2020 (for March 2020 sales) are now due no later than April 30, 2020.

"Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tax Collector's Office is still committed to helping our citizens. Together we will meet the challenges facing our community, state, and nation. Please be safe and use our available mail and online payment services at this time. Please continue to check http://www.polktaxes.com for updates"

~ Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector