The Town of Beekman is a Town of the first class. Collecting officers in Town of the first class are known as Receivers of Taxes. This is a four-year elected position. Before entering upon the duties of the office, it is required that all tax collecting officers take and subscribe the Constitutional oath of office. In addition, an official undertaking or bond, which guarantees the faithful performance of the office, must be executed and filed in the Town Clerk’s Office.  Once the Receiver has taken the oath and executed the bond, she becomes the insurer and guarantor of all moneys, securities, papers and records that the law provides shall be in her custody.

The Receiver of Taxes collects the General Property Taxes in January. The bills are mailed in early January. The tax bill covers the period of January 1st. – December 31st. Payments can be made upon receipt of bill through Februry 28th, without penalty.* If they are paid after February 28th, there is a 2% penalty thru March 31st. From April 1st thru April 30th, there is a 3% penalty. From May 1st thru May 31st, there is a 4% penalty, plus a $2.00 delinquent fee. After May 31st, the Unpaids are turned over to Dutchess County.

• By Town Board resolution, seniors with the senior exemption have 5 additional days to pay. Property tax penalty-free.

The Property Tax bill contains levies for the Town, County, Fire District, and any special districts. In addition, if school or water bills are unpaid, they will be re-levied on the Property Tax Bill. If a previous owner was receiving an exemption, a payback amount may also appear in the bill which covers the time period that the new property owner enjoyed a previous owner’s exemption to which they were not entitled. Please contact this office if there are any questions regarding the amounts due.

The Beekman Tax Office also collects school tax for the Arlington Central School District. School Tax Bills are mailed in early September. The due date is specified on the bill. After said date a 2% penalty is due until the end of the collection, which is usually the first week in November. All unpaid School bills are turned over to Dutchess County. They may be paid at the County until the re-levy date. After that date, all unpaid school bills are levied on the following Property Tax Bill with a 7% penalty.

Payments made in person can be made by check or cash and are accepted in person at the Tax Office which is located in the Town Hall. Payments can also be made by mail to: Beekman Tax Office, 4 Main Street, Poughquag, NY 12570. Please do no send cash through the mail.

To assist our elderly and disabled residents, third party notification of tax bills is offered. Property owners who are disabled or 65 years of age or older , and own a one, two, or three family home, may designate an adult consenting third party to receive duplicate copies of tax bills and notices of unpaid taxes. In order to receive this service, one must fill out a third party notification form RP-923, which is available in the Tax Office.

Many residents have their taxes escrowed with lending institutions. The County updates bank codes prior to each billing cycle. It is the lending institution’s responsibility to notify the county of any additions or deletions of accounts. Many banks contract with Tax Service Organizations (TSOs), which are agencies that service escrow accounts for the banks. These organizations provide us with a listing of their customers and their identifying account numbers. The larger organizations do this primarily by computer disc. In the event that a resident received a bill that should have gone to the bank, it is still the responsibility of the bank to call for that bill. If the bill should have gone to the homeowner, but went to the bank, it is the homeowner’s responsibility to know that taxes are due. Please call our office immediately and we will issue you a duplicate bill. 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 interest prescribed by law. (New York State Real Property Tax Law §922). If you should have received a bill, but have not during the first week of September and January , please contact this office for a duplicate bill.