For the City Times

PORTAGE COUNTY – Interest and penalties have been waived on some property tax installments due after April 1 this year.

In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on April 15, the Wisconsin Legislature enacted 2019 Wisconsin Act 185. Section 105(25) of Act 185 authorized Portage County to adopt a resolution enabling its taxation districts to waive interest and penalties on property tax installment payments due and payable after April 1, until Oct. 1. To enable this waiver, the taxation districts also needed to adopt resolutions similar to the county’s resolution.

The Portage County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution on April 21. Following this, 26 of Portage county’s 27 municipalities adopted similar resolutions authorizing this waiver. The town of Belmont Board of Supervisors chose not to adopt a resolution allowing this waiver for their municipality.

How the waiver works

The waiver applies to 2019 tax bills where the first installment was paid on time, in its entirety.

If the Jan. 31 installment was not paid timely, in full, the entire balance owing became due and payable immediately. Therefore, a taxpayer that is already delinquent will continue to accrue interest and penalty because the installment was due before April 1.

Any 2019 property tax installments due after April 1 will have interest and penalty waived until Oct. 1. The installment due dates are not changing, interest and penalty are just being waived.

If the installment due after April 1 remains unpaid after Oct. 1, interest and penalty will begin to accrue.

For more information, contact the Portage County Treasurer’s office at 715-346-1348.