Contra Costa Tax Collector’s online system crashes, payments due Thursday must be mailed or dropped off by tomorrow
By Anthony Dorado
The Contra Costa County Treasurer-Tax Collector’s online payment system crashed on Wednesday, December 9 just a day before the first installment deadline for property tax bills tomorrow. A Tax Collector’s office staff member said that they had experienced an influx of payments that overloaded and subsequently crashed the system.
Many residents utilize the online system as a cheaper, more efficient way to pay their taxes and with the current COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. Due to the nature of the system, most users wait until just days before the deadline to submit those taxes and are now seemingly at risk for penalty. No announcement was issued on the matter regarding the crash nor what was being done about it.
However, the staff member said they were doing everything in their power to fix the system and that it should be back up and running soon. While they understand and empathize with those inconvenienced, Tax Collector’s office is asking that people be patient and flexible.
Anyone who has not yet filed their first installment taxes can do so by mailing them by tomorrow, Thursday, Dec. 10. Those who mail their taxes by or before the deadline will have their taxes received and filed promptly according with their postage date. As long as the filing is postmarked by Dec. 10, there will be no penalties.
Taxes, paid by check, only must be mailed to Contra Costa Tax Collector P.O. Box 631, Martinez, CA 94553 or they can be dropped off in the box at the Main Street door of the county Finance Building at 625 Court Street, Suite 100 in Martinez.