Tax Collection FAQs & Online Payment Directions
1. I received a Hyde Park Central School District tax bill. How can I pay it?
There are three tax collectors/receivers that collect school taxes for Hyde Park Central School District. Donna Kuklis collects for properties located in the Towns of Clinton, Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck only. Receivers of Taxes for the Towns of Hyde Park and Poughkeepsie collect school taxes for properties located within their towns.
For Properties located in the Towns of Clinton, Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck - Payment can be made online, by mail or in person. See question #3 below.
For Properties located in the Town of Hyde Park - Click this link.
For Properties located in the Town of Poughkeepsie - Click this link.
2. Are bills/receipts (past and/or current) available to view online? I need to know the amount of school taxes I paid last year for my Income Taxes or what is due this year or for a piece of property I am interested in purchasing.
Yes. Please keep in mind that if the taxes were not paid during the tax collection period, it will not show as paid on the online school tax records even if it was later paid to the county or to the town when relevied.
For Properties in the Towns of Clinton, Pleasant Valley and Rhinebeck - Years 2019 to the present are available online at this link. For years prior to 2019, contact Tax Collector, Donna Kuklis at (845) 229-4000 ext. 1160
For Properties in the Town of Hyde Park - Click this link.
For Properties in the Town of Poughkeepsie - Click this link.
3. How do I pay my school tax bill if my property is located in the Town of Clinton, Pleasant Valley or Rhinebeck and I do not have an escrow account through a bank/mortgage company?
• Pay online - Click here for the website. Taxes can be paid online by credit card, debit card and electronic check (fees apply). The taxes are considered paid on the date you submit them online (unless the payment is declined). More directions on how to pay online are at the bottom of this page.
• Pay by mail - send your check and entire tax bill (if you want a stamped receipt returned to you) to:
HPCSD
ATTN: Donna Kuklis, Tax Collector
PO Box 2033
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Regarding mailed payments:
• The taxes are considered paid on the date the envelope is postmarked by the U. S. Post Office. Please keep this in mind if you are paying near the due date or the end of the tax collection period. You can request that the post office hand stamp your envelope for added assurance. For the postmark to be considered, it must be legible and cannot be from a postage meter machine if received outside the due date or tax collection period. Checks issued via online bill pay do not have a postmark on the envelope and typically do not contain enough information to identify which property is being paid. Please try to avoid this method of payment.
• Before mailing in your payment:
- Include a telephone number that you can be reached at in case the tax collector needs to get in touch with you. If you do not, the tax collector must mail everything back to you if there is a problem, which can delay the tax payment and incur additional fees.
- You will only receive a stamped receipt if you mail the entire tax bill along with the check. The upper portion of the bill is what is used for a return receipt. If you do not send the entire bill, then your canceled check is considered proof that you paid your tax bill.
- Checks should be dated for the day they are mailed, since all checks are deposited when received. If you postdate your check, it may bounce. The date on the check is not the date the bill is considered paid.
- Most errors on checks are made on the written amount line, which is also the amount the tax collector legally must go by. Please be sure that the amount written is correct.
- Did you sign your check?
- Make sure you include the Receiver's Stub with your check, if not sending the entire bill.
- You can write one check for multiple tax bills if owed to the same tax collector/receiver; make sure that the payment amount is calculated correctly.
- We cannot accept partial payments.
- Make sure you are writing the check out for the amount that you owe. The Total Taxes Due amount is if the taxes are being paid on time. If the taxes are paid after the due date, then the amount due includes a 2% penalty. Both amounts are listed in the Penalty Schedule along with the tax collection dates.
- Do NOT staple or tape the check to the bill.
• Pay in person - The taxes are considered paid on the date they are received by the tax collector. Remember, if paying with cash, it must be exact; the tax collector does not have change.
Without an appointment - All Tuesdays and Thursdays during the tax collection period from 4 PM to 6 PM
With an appointment - Mondays through Fridays from 8 AM to 4 PM by calling (845) 229-4000 ext. 1160
4. What do I do if I think my bill is too high?
Your school tax bill is based on your property assessment determined by your town assessor and your town's tax rate (equalization rate) determined by New York State. The District does not control any part of the assessment or equalization process. Contact the assessor's office in the town your property is located and visit this page for more information on what to do if you think your assessment is too high. Also, you can speak to the assessor about additional tax exemptions or credits that you may be eligible for.
5. I never received the bill/I received the bill late/I had a family emergency...Do I still have to pay the penalty if I am late?
Yes. The failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or the interest prescribed by law (New York State Real Property Tax Law 922). The law does not allow the collecting officer to waive the penalty for any reason.
6. Whom should I contact to change my tax bill/receipt mailing address or if I have paid off my mortgage and I no longer have an escrow account or if I changed my name?
Contact the assessor in the town your property is located to inform them of any tax payment changes, including a change in your mailing address or name. If it is close to or during the tax collection period, it is advisable to also contact your tax collector/receiver and the Dutchess County Real Property Tax Agency (845-486-2140) to ensure the information has been relayed to them, although the town assessor is always the first point of contact. In most cases, the mortgage lender informs all parties when the mortgage has been paid off and there is no longer an escrow account.
7. I just moved into the school district/I am a new homeowner... What should I know?
• The school tax collection period begins in September and ends no earlier than the end of October. The exact dates of the tax collection period typically changes from year to year.
• School taxes are due in the middle of October. After the due date a 2% late fee is added to the amount due.
• If the taxes are not paid during the school tax collection period, the Dutchess County Real Property Tax Agency is notified. The county typically accepts payment in the month of November with additional fees incurred. (Click here for their website.)
• If the taxes are not paid to the county, they will be relevied to the Town/County tax bill with additional fees that is due early in the year. Contact your town tax officer for more information.
8. What do I do if I cannot pay my taxes?
- Contact the assessor's office in the town your property is located. (Click here to find your assessor.) Ask if there are exemptions for which you may qualify, such as STAR, and/or about the assessed value of your property. See question #4 above.
- See if you qualify for assistance, such as SNAP or HEAP. This page lists assistance programs and services.
Keep in mind:
- A taxpayer paying delinquent taxes must pay the MOST CURRENT tax first.
- Properties with taxes remaining unpaid after twenty-one (21) months will go into In Rem foreclosure.
| School Tax Online Payment Directions |
