Benton County MO Collector of Revenue

12/11/2025

The USPS has instituted a new rule stating that postmarks are only applied at the first automation step, not at the time of acceptance. This means that when you put an envelope in your mailbox, it won't be postmarked until it arrives at a sorting center up to a few days later. Missouri law currently relies on the postmark date to determine if late fees are applied to tax payments. To avoid late fees, please do not wait until the last few days of December to mail your payment. To be extra certain, consider mailing your payment at a post office location and have a clerk manually postmark it, or use a mail class like Certified, Registered, or Priority and save your receipt with the acceptance date.

12/08/2025

We're often asked why we charge a service fee on taxes paid with a credit or debit card. All card networks (MasterCard, Discover, AMEX, etc) charge processing fees for transactions. In the private sector, stores like Walmart cover these fees from their profits and can adjust prices to account for changes in network service fees. But Missouri law prohibits counties from using tax revenue to pay card processing fees (see RSMo 139.055). Even if it was allowed, the county would have to budget for the worst-case scenario in which everyone pays with a card, which comes out to around $500,000 in fees each year. The only way to pay that would be to increase your taxes, effectively charging processing fees to everyone, even those who don't pay with a card. So, the fairest option is to charge the network's processing fee to those who choose to pay by card and offer other payment options, like cash or check, without a fee.

11/18/2025

We have a backlog of outgoing receipts because of an issue with our postage meter. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need a receipt right away, you can print them from bentoncountycollector.com. Refunds and returns are going out with stamps and shouldn't be delayed.

07/23/2025

The 2025 tax sale listing has been published in the Benton County Enterprise this week. Updated lists will also appear in the next two editions.

07/22/2025

We've also noticed AI-generated search results that cite incorrect information about the SB190 Senior Tax Freeze. Every county's rules and deadlines are different. You should only rely on information that comes from official sources (this page, our website, the county's website, etc).

Some of the offices, including mine, have recently had questions/comments based on information found through online searches. Many of these searches included info obtained using AI, which is not always accurate.
We've seen (among other things) statutes cited as being for the entire State of Missouri, even though they only apply to St. Louis City (& were repealed in 1989); laws quoted that were actually proposed bills from decades ago that never passed; recording requirements that are for another state but do not apply to ours, etc.
These 'answers' are just compiled data sorted by certain words & may be incorrect or outdated. The first result you find at the top of the page is usually AI generated. As you scroll through the other results, look for trusted & well-known websites, like mo.gov or Missouri revisor of statutes. Some of the lesser-known websites (such as bridal sites for marriage info) may have copied the incorrect info from AI.
Also, all of the Benton County offices have individual webpages at www.bentoncomo.com with info relating to our offices & our contact information.

06/09/2025

Our Internet connection and phones are down, possibly for the rest of the day. The website is still available for payments and receipts: https://bentoncountycollector.com

05/29/2025

Friday, May 30th is the last day you can submit a Senior Tax Freeze application in person at the Benton County Collector's Office. We will be closed on Saturday, May 31st. If you can't make it Friday and want to mail your application, please ensure it receives a May 31st postmark.

05/16/2025

REMINDER: The deadline for turning in your application for the Senior Real Estate Tax Relief Program is May 31st. This is a Saturday, so we will still accept mailed applications that have a 31st postmark or are dropped in the box at the front doors of the Courthouse. You must be 62 or older, own your home, and live full-time in Benton County. Applications are available at the Collector's Office.

There has been a lot of confusion around the attachments that must be provided with your application. If you have a Missouri REAL ID (with a yellow star in the top right corner) and it shows your home address, all we need is a copy of it. If you do not have a REAL ID yet (your license says "Not for REAL ID purposes" in the top right corner), we also need a copy of an official document that has been mailed to your home address (a utility bill, mortgage statement, even a county tax statement or receipt). For the proof of ownership, providing a copy of your deed will save time, but we can also look it up at our office.

The application does need to be notarized, but the employees of the Collector's Office are notaries, so we can do that when you turn in your application. There is no charge for notary services.

Applicants will receive a decision in the mail by the end of the summer. We have received close to 1,400 applications so far, so it will take a significant amount of time to process them all.

05/15/2025

UPDATE: The phone has been returned to its owner!
An Android smartphone with a blue case was found dropped at the Veteran's Memorial in front of the Courthouse. If it belongs to you or someone you know, it can be picked up at the Collector's Office. We are closed from noon to 1pm.

05/09/2025

The Benton County Collector's Office has a job opening for a Deputy Collector. Good customer service skills, computer knowledge, and experience in handling money are required. Previous experience with banking, Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel would be a plus. Must meet requirements to be bonded. Full-time position would be 37.5 hours per week, with starting salary of $17.30/hour with increase after 6-month probation period. Applications are available at the Collector's Office in the Courthouse and will be accepted until May 30th, 2025.

David Brodersen collects property & lodging taxes, and issues business licenses for Benton County MO.

05/07/2025

The initial 2025 tax sale listing is now live at https://bentoncountytaxsale.com! It will be a bit longer before the 2023 aerial photography is available on the map, but it is now being used for the individual aerial images. All prices are subject to change.

On the 4th Monday of each August, the Benton County Collector offers real estate with two or more years of delinquent taxes at auction in accordance with Chapter 140 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The yearly tax sale encourages development of unused property and ensures that taxing districts r...

04/30/2025

The 2025 tax sale list will be going live at https://bentoncountytaxsale.com soon! If you still owe real estate taxes for 2023 or earlier and don't want to be listed, be sure to pay ASAP. We are planning to have the latest aerial photography on the map this year, as well as a few other improvements!

On the 4th Monday of each August, the Benton County Collector offers real estate with two or more years of delinquent taxes at auction in accordance with Chapter 140 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri. The yearly tax sale encourages development of unused property and ensures that taxing districts r...