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Onondaga County to let taxpayers pay 2018 taxes early

WBFO News File Photo

Onondaga County is making it easier to pay town and county taxes early with a new online system, and it comes at a time when some taxpayers are considering paying their local taxes early.

A new program called E-Tax launches Wednesday that will allow Onondaga County residents to get an early look at their local government tax bills, before paper copies of those bills are mailed later in the week. 

Deputy County Executive Bill Fisher says this is a good year to start the program, because of the implications of the new federal tax bill, which doesn’t allow taxpayers to deduct as much state and local taxes on their federal income taxes.

"Under the new tax bill that Congress just passed, the pre-payment of property taxes for 2018, can receive favorable tax treatment by paying it before December 31st,” Fisher said.

The new tax law allows taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 of property, income and sales taxes.

According to Fisher, the new online system should be fairly simple to use.

“People can go look up their bills, they can print them out at home, take them to their tax receiver at town hall,” he said. “And if they pay Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, they will, we believe from what accountants are telling us, get favorable treatment from the IRS,”

To view their bill, taxpayers can go to Onondaga County’s website, which will let them access their property tax bill.  

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.