The city of Stevens Point recently launched a new option for residents to pay their taxes on the city’s website in order to streamline the process and catch up with the increasingly digital-dependent culture.

While the online element isn’t exactly new for the city, the process has been updated to make it easier and less clunky for users.

“This is something that’s new this year. We’ve had some online property tax payment in the past, but’s it’s only been for credit cards and hasn’t really integrated with our tax system very well,” said Cory Ladick, comptroller/treasurer.

“So, in other words, in the past you needed your tax bill, you needed to know how much you actually owed to make the online payment,” he said. “But of course we realize it’s the 21st Century and most things are going online, so we thought it was important to bring in a new portal for this.”

Ladick said development of the new system was at no expense to the city.

To use the new payment system, visit www.stevenspoint.com/taxes, click “Pay Online at GovTechTaxPro.com,” search for your property (several options to do so are available) and follow the steps through to payment.

However, using the online feature – while timesaving – does have some fees outside of the city’s control.

“If you want to pay with your checking account, it’s a $1.50 per transaction. If you’d like to pay with a credit or debit card, it is 2.35 percent (of the total transaction) plus a $1.50 per transaction,” Ladick said.

“Now, people will often ask, ‘well, why is it that you would charge us a fee to pay with a credit card?’ The reason why is basically because your credit card company charges a fee for us to accept that. In a normal retail store, of course, they’re not selling the goods at-cost, they’re selling it with a markup percentage, so they work it in to just kind of eat the 2.5 percent. The nice thing about local government services is that we actually do charge you the actual cost, we don’t work in any profit margin, so that means we can’t just eat the 2.35 percent charge.”

To watch a video of Ladick’s demonstration of tax payment, click here. 

For specific inquiries or assistance, contact the treasurer’s office at 715-346-1573.