“Just a bit of history,” Hobbs prefaced, “the non-filing rate for 2021 alone was 60% ... This statistic is only for those that we know about at the time. Since then, we have added over 1,100 new tax accounts that should have been filing taxes.”
“40% of the city is carrying the burden,” Hobbs said, adding that the City of Trenton “cannot sustain itself or grow with only a minority supporting the entire city.”
The city’s current income tax is 1.5%.
Over the past few months, about 2,700 Trenton residents who are behind on their taxes from 2017 to 2021 have received final notices of their estimated unpaid tax burden and were asked to cooperate with the city by April 28. Hobbs said those who do not comply by that date will be referred to the Ohio Attorney General’s office, and, after that, it’s out of her control.
“This is the last stop, this is it,” Hobbs said. “This is the very last chance to turn in your missing documentation for the specified tax years before the estimated returns are sent to the Ohio Attorney General’s office and it’s out of my hands. I cannot help you anymore once that happens.”
Hobbs said these final notices were preceded by a series of letters: An initial non-filing notice, a secondary non-filing reminder, and a third letter that told residents they’d be receiving their estimated return notice in 15 days.
Trenton offers a payment plan process for those behind on their taxes that features an automatic bank withdrawal at a flexible time increment. Residents who sign up will not incur additional
I know a lot of people are dealing with multiple years of tax filing at once and they’re scared,” Hobbs said. “There is hope. The city does offer payment plans — a lot of cities don’t.”
Hobbs said the city’s plan has a lot of benefits that others lack. For example, the payments are automatically withdrawn, interest rates and incurred penalties from non-payments are frozen at the time a resident enters the plan, as long as the resident stays current on their city income taxes.
Hobbs detailed several reasons why folks might not have paid their city income taxes, not the least of which being that taxes are relatively convoluted, and folks might not know that there was a city income tax to pay to begin with.
For example, Hobbs said, online services like H&R Block or TurboTax of FreeTax USA will not send any information to the city at all. “[Even] if residents go to get their taxes prepared through an in-person service, they will usually still have to be dropped off or mailed by the resident,” Hobbs said. “Very, very few will turn your documents in to the city on your behalf, so please keep that in mind.”
Trenton’s Tax Department will prepare any resident’s local tax return for free.
Councilmember Sharon Montgomery said she fell behind on her local taxes once she switched jobs and her new employer didn’t automatically take city taxes out of her paycheck like she was used to.
Montgomery said she worked with Hobbs to get on the city’s payment plan and she has a small sum automatically paid off every two weeks.
“The tax department here are very, very, very good and kind people. That’s what I see. I don’t see anyone that’s trying to be a bully, I don’t see any of that,” Montgomery said. “Please, if you’re having difficulties, reach out.”
Local, state and federal taxes must be filed by April 18 in order to stay current. The tax department will be open late on April 17 and 18 to provide last-minute help, but, Hobbs warned, “it will be hectic both of those nights.”
“The Tax Department has helped thousands of people get back on track with their taxes, and I would love it if you were one of them, but I cannot help you if you do not come in,” Hobbs said.
Tax questions?
To connect with the City of Trenton Tax Department, residents may call (513) 428-0158 or send an email to Tax@TrentonOH.gov. More information is online at TrentonOH.gov/171/Taxation.
About the Author
