Tax Collector
Town and County Taxes
The Town of Canton collects Town & County Taxes. Tax Bills are mailed by the St. Lawrence County real Property. You will receive them soon after January 1st. Full payments are due by January 31st (U.S. Postmark of January 31st or earlier accepted) without penalty. Payments made after this date should include the appropriate penalty. The amount can be found on your tax bill. Payments will be accepted through May 31st at our office, 60 Main Street, Canton. After that date taxpayers should call the St. Lawrence County Treasurer for payment instructions at 315-379-2234.
The first installment option is only available until January 31st, after that only full payments will be accepted.
Methods of Payment: Payments may be made by cash, check/money order and credit card. Please do not send cash through the mail.
Please Note: A service fee will be charged when using a credit card or debit card.
By Mail: Checks or Money Orders are to be payable to ‘Heidi Smith, Tax Collector,’ and mailed to 60 Main Street, Canton, New York 13617. Please send a coupon from your tax bill or make a notation of the tax parcel ID or current bill number if you are not enclosing a bill. Providing a phone number is helpful, so we can contact you if there is a problem with your payment
In Person: Payments may be made at the Canton Town Hall, 60 Main Street, Canton NY during business hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
After Hours: Payments may be placed in the drop-box which is located in the foyer of the Town Hall, 60 Main Street, Canton.
School Taxes
Canton Central School taxes are collected at the Canton Town Hall, 60 Main Street, Canton beginning September 1st and ending October 31st. Checks should be made payable to Heidi Smith, Tax Collector. Office hours are 9 AM – 3:30 PM, Monday – Friday. After hour payments may be place in the drop box it the foyer. Payments in full without penalty or first installment payments must be paid on or before September 30th. The second installment is due on or before October 31st. From November 1st– November 30th all payments are made to the St. Lawrence County Treasurer’s Office, 48 Court Street, Canton, NY 13617.
Please note: when mailing in your school taxes mail them to: PO Box 399, Canton, NY 13617.
Escrow
If you have an escrow account, your bill will also be mailed directly to your bank.
If you do not have an escrow account and do not receive your tax bill by January 6th, please call the Clerk’s office at (315) 386-3735, and request that another copy be sent to you. Please remember that even if your bill is lost in the mail or you do not receive it for any reason, you are still responsible to pay it before the due date or a penalty will be charged.
Frequently Asked Questions
I never received my tax bill or received it late, do I still have to pay the penalty?
Yes. 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). In addition, neither the Tax Collector nor any other official has legal authority to waive statutory penalty charges. These are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law. If they are waived, the collecting officer will be personally responsible. As all records are audited by State examiners, there is absolutely no discretion in this matter. The Constitution and the law of the State mandates the procedure.
If I mail my payment by the due date do I have to pay the penalty?
New York State Real Property Tax Law §925, provides as follows: “Payment of taxes by mail, when enclosed in a postpaid wrapper (envelope) properly addressed to the appropriate collecting officer and deposited in a post office or official depository under the exclusive care and custody of the United States Post Office shall, upon delivery, be deemed to have been made to such officer on the date of the United States Postmark on such wrapper. The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of postmarks not made by the United States Post Office. A postage meter postmark is not a postmark made by the United States Post Office and, therefore, is not within in the provisions of Real Property Tax Law §925. Payments cannot be deemed timely because of a postage meter postmark date on an envelope containing a tax payment (Op. New York State Comp. 69-170).
If taxes are received after the due date, they are not considered paid on time, unless they fall squarely within the provisions of section 925 of the Real Property Tax Law, and the penalty must be added and collected. No Tax Collector can waive the penalty (Op. New York State Comp. 68-626).
Can I prepay my taxes?
No. The warrant constitutes the mantle of authority for the collecting officer to receive the taxes. Therefore, the warrant must be regarded as the instrument which empowers the collecting officer to begin the collection. Collection authority cannot begin prior to the date of the warrant.
Can I designate someone else to receive a copy of my tax bill?
Yes. If you are disabled, or 65 years of age or over, and own a one, two, or three family home, you may designate an adult consenting third party to receive a duplicate copy of your tax bill and notice of unpaid taxes. Complete the Third Party Notification Form and return it to the Tax Collector.
Helpful links
ATC Tax Lookup (School/Town/Village Tax Information)
St. Lawrence County Treasurer’s Office
St. Lawrence County Real Property
The Property Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (PDF)
