
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 19, 1995                   TAG: 9504200050
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAN CASEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

GLITCHES CAUSE BILL PROBLEMS

Got a question about the late penalty you were assessed on your personal property tax return? Or the hefty assessment on the car you sold early this year?

You're not alone.

Because of computer glitches, some personal property returns were incorrectly marked as late, and the prorated tax was incorrectly calculated on some vehicles, Commissioner of the Revenue Marsha Compton Fielder said Tuesday.

Taxpayers with questions about their bills, which were sent out last week, have been jamming her office's phone lines since Monday.

Meanwhile, a steady stream of people has been walking in her door, wondering why they were assessed late charges or billed for 10 months' worth of tax for a car they owned only two months in 1995.

"It's been a real headache, I'll tell you that," Fielder said. "I had nothing to do with it, my employees had nothing to do with it. It's the [computer] system."

In January, her office sent out personal property returns to car, truck, motorcycle and boat owners. They were due by Feb. 15.

Taxpayers who file returns late, or not at all, are assessed a late charge equal to 10 percent of the tax bill. Payments are due by May 31.

The problem is, some people mailed in their returns on time but were assessed late charges anyway. Most of them are owners of motorcycles, boats or boat motors, Fielder said.

The city's computer system calculates the wholesale value of trucks and cars. But motorcycles, boats, trailers and some other items have to be entered by hand by employees in Fielder's office after returns are filed.

The computer pegged the valuation entry as the return date and improperly assessed late charges for some of those items, Fielder said.

Another glitch reversed the ratio used to calculated taxes owed for some cars that were sold early this year. Thus, some residents found themselves being billed 11 months' tax for cars they owned for only a month, or 10 months' tax for a car they owned for two months of the year.

Employees in the city information systems office were working in Fielder's office Tuesday to try to identify taxpayers who were sent incorrect bills so accurate replacements can be sent out.

by CNB