week of 1/7/04
 
 
 
  Business owners pack tax listing meeting
SMN
A lot of small business owners in Haywood County apparently have questions about how to list their personal property taxes.

More than 175 people crowded into the auditorium at the Haywood Community College Hi-Technology Center Monday night to take part in an information session set up by the county.

“There are people here who have never listed. How are we going to correct that? I think people want to do what’s right they just want to know how,” said one speaker.

Personal property used by businesses to make money is taxed by all counties in North Carolina. Haywood commissioners were asked earlier this year by tax assessor Judy Ballard to hire an outside firm to audit the county’s business tax listings. The firm would have been paid a percentage of the taxes it collected. Ballard said it was apparent that many businesses are not listing properly, and that the county is missing out on a lot of tax money.

Commissioners have decided to wait until tax listing forms, which are due Feb. 2, are returned to the county to review them before deciding whether to hire an outside auditing firm or use county personnel.

Those attending the meeting had many questions about how to list, and two state Department of Revenue officials and Ballard tried to answer them. The auditorium, however, was plagued by poor acoustics, barely audible microphones and a powerpoint computer presentation that wouldn’t work.

Information on how to list business property is available at the state Department of Revenue website at www.dor.state.nc.us. Also the county will be airing information on business personal property tax listings on the government channel, which is channel 11 on Charter Cable.

The schedule for the program is:

° Friday, Jan. 9 — 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

° Saturday, Jan. 10 — 8 a.m.

° Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Jan.

12, 14, 16 — 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

° Saturday, Jan. 17 — 8 a.m. and 7 p.m.

° Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Jan.

19, 21, 23 — 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

° Saturday, Jan. 24 — 8 a.m.

° Monday , Jan. 26, and Wednesday, Jan.

28 — 7 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Last night’s seminar will air on the same channel at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13, 15, 17, 27 and 29.

The last day to list business personal property is Monday, Feb. 2. Business owners can request an extension through April 15, but must do so by Feb. 2. The Jan. 5 training seminar will also be taped for use on the Government Access Channel.

Information on business personal property listing will be available on the county’s website, www.gov.co.haywood.nc.us. In addition to these sources of information, the county tax assessor’s office is available to answer questions from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday at 828.452.6639 or 828.452.6664.