State Statute 137.280 RSMo., requires each taxpayer to turn in a listing of their personal property, as of January 1, to the assessor between January 1 - March 1. Failure to submit a listing by March 1 can result in a late assessment penalty up to $105.
This statute only allows for six reasons the Assessor can defer the penalty:
- The taxpayer is in the military service and is outside the state
- The taxpayer filed timely, but in the wrong county
- There was a loss of records due to fire / flood
- The taxpayer can show the list was mailed timely as evidenced by the postmark
- The Assessor determines that no form for listing was mailed to the taxpayer for that year
- That neglect occurred as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the county