Oxford Area School District

The following taxes are levied by the district on residents of the Oxford Area School District:

Earned Income Tax rates reflect only the rate levied by the district.

Earned Income taxes are collected by Keystone Collections Group. For information or questions concernng earned income taxes, please contact Keystone at 1-888-328-0565.

For Real Estate Tax Questions: Contact Keystone Collections Group at 724-978-0300 or 866-539-1100 Option 3                     
For Assessment Questions: Contact Chester County Assessment Office at 610-344-6105
For Delinquent Real Estate Taxes: Contact Tax Claim Bureau at 610-344-6360

REAL ESTATE TAXES

Real Estate Tax bills are mailed on July 1 to all school district property owners and may be paid at a 2% discount until August 31. After October 31, a 10% penalty is added. All taxes not paid by December 31 are turned over to the Chester County Tax Claim Bureau for collection.

The Tax Claim Bureau processes real estate liens against delinquent taxpayers for all taxing authorities within the County. Unpaid tax accounts filed during the first year of delinquency are considered tax claims. Certified notices are distributed to these accounts. When taxes go unpaid for two years, tax sale proceedings are instituted which include notification by certified mail, advertisement, Sheriff's posting and finally, sale if taxes are not paid. If your property has been liened, your taxes must be paid directly to the Chester County Tax Claim Bureau.

Failure to receive a tax notice does not relieve the taxpayer from liability for the prompt payment of taxes imposed by the taxing district. It is the responsibility of the property owner to pay the real estate tax in Chester County even though they may not have received their tax bill. All annual bills are mailed on July 1 of each year; tax bills are mailed to the last known post office address of each property owner. Please contact Keystone Collections Group at 1-866-539-1100 if you have not received your tax notice by July 15.

Note: If there has been a change of address, and this is causing your tax bill to be forwarded to an incorrect address, the property owner must contact the County Assessment Office to complete required forms to change/update the address of record.

The Real Estate tax is calculated by multiplying the millage rate times the assessed value of the property - Assessment x millage rate / 1000 = tax liability (face amount).

Please make checks payable to:

Keystone Collections Group
Real Estate Tax Payment
P. O. Box 505
Irwin, PA 15642

or Pay Online at www.KeystoneCollects.com and select the Pay/File tab at the top of your screen (you can pay through a no-charge electronic transfer from your bank account or you can also pay by credit card, (A 2.5% bank processing fee applies to credit card payments) or call 1-610-269-4402 to find the closest Keystone Branch Office

Keystone Installs New Easy Payment Drop Box

Keystone Collections Group installed a drop box to help taxpayers make easy and timely payments on their tax bills. The box is located in front of the Chester County Intermediate Unit Building at 455 Boot Road, Downingtown, PA 19335. Residents can use the box to remit local tax returns, payments and related documents. All contents must be placed in an envelope with the taxpayer’s name, address and phone number written on the front. Cash should never be placed in the box – payment must be made only by check or money order.

Duplicate Bill

To obtain a duplicate copy of your tax bill, please call Keystone Collections Group at 1-866-539-1100. If possible, please have your parcel number available.

Installment Payments

Keystone is now accepting installment payments for all taxpayers. If your property qualifies for installment payments, your tax bill will include the option to pay in three equal installments.

Payment Due Dates

Special Instructions for Installment Payments  

• Discounts are not permitted on installment payments.  The installment payments are calculated using the Face amount.
• Once the first installment is received, there is no “opting out” of the installment program.
• The remittance copy must accompany payment.
• Payments are due in the amount indicated on the installment payment portion of the bill.  Late or missed installment payments are assessed with a 10% penalty.
• If the first installment is not paid by the due date, you will not be eligible for the installment option. 
• Second and third installment notices will be mailed separately after the first installment is received.

INTERIM REAL ESTATE TAXES

Interim taxes are levied under ACT 544 of 1953 (Section 677.1) on the increase in assessed valuations of local property as a result of construction or improvements to that property. The interim assessment is calculated by taking the difference between the previous assessment and the new assessment. The Chester County Assessment Office provides the District with the assessed value of the new construction or improvement, and the District Tax Office calculates the amount of the tax due using the following formula:

Assessment x millage rate x time period of interim

The time period on which the interim billing is based begins when the improvements are completed or, in the case of new construction, the date of occupancy and is calculated based on the District’s fiscal year which begins July 1 and ends June 30. The payment due date for your interim tax will vary from your current real estate tax depending on when the change is processed by the County. The payment due dates are printed on the tax bill.

For questions concerning your property’s interim assessment, please contact the Chester County Assessment Office at 610-344-6105.

TAX CERTIFICATION

A tax certification is a statement showing the parcel number, the property owner of record, and the amount of taxes paid for a particular year. To obtain a tax certification for 2016 and prior, please send a written request and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Oxford Area School District Tax Office, 125 Bell Tower Lane, Oxford, PA  19363. There is no fee for Oxford School District property owners. For all others, there is a $50 fee per parcel. Please make checks payable to Oxford Area School District. For 2017, please contact Keystone Collections Group at 1-866-539-1100.