105-321. Disposition of tax records and receipts; order of collection.

(a) County tax records shall be filed in the office of the assessor unless the board of county commissioners shall require them to be filed in some other public office of the county. City and town tax records shall be filed in some public office of the municipality designated by the governing body of the city or town. In the discretion of the governing body, a duplicate copy of the tax records may be delivered to the tax collector at the time he is charged with the collection of taxes.

(b) Before delivering the tax receipts to the tax collector in any year, the board of county commissioners or municipal governing body shall adopt and enter in its minutes an order directing the tax collector to collect the taxes charged in the tax records and receipts. A copy of this order shall be delivered to the tax collector at the time the tax receipts are delivered to him, but the failure to do so shall not affect the tax collector's rights and duties to employ the means of collecting taxes provided by this Subchapter. The order of collection shall have the force and effect of a judgment and execution against the taxpayers' real and personal property and shall be drawn in substantially the following form:

(c) The original tax receipts, together with any duplicate copies that may have been prepared, shall be delivered to the tax collector by the governing body on or before the first day of September each year if the tax collector has made settlement as required by G.S. 105-352. The tax collector shall give his receipt for the tax receipts and duplicates delivered to him for collection.

(d) Repealed by Session Laws 2006-30, s. 5, effective June 29, 2006.

(e) The governing body of a taxing unit may contract with a bank or other financial institution for receipt of payment of taxes payable at par and of delinquent taxes and interest for the current tax year. A financial institution may not issue a receipt for any tax payments received by it, however. Discount for early payment of taxes shall be allowed by a financial institution that contracts with a taxing unit pursuant to this subsection to the same extent as allowed by the tax collector. A financial institution that contracts with a taxing unit for receipt of payment of taxes shall furnish a bond to the taxing unit conditioned upon faithful performance of the contract in a form and amount satisfactory to the governing body of the taxing unit. A governing body of a taxing unit that contracts with a financial institution pursuant to this subsection shall publish a timely notice of the institution at which taxpayers may pay their taxes in a newspaper having circulation within the taxing unit. No notice is required, however, if the financial institution receives payments only through the mail.

(f) Minimal Taxes. - Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 105-380, the governing body of a taxing unit that collects its own taxes may, by resolution, direct its assessor and tax collector not to collect minimal taxes charged on the tax records and receipts. Minimal taxes are the combined taxes and fees of the taxing unit and any other units for which it collects taxes, due on a tax receipt prepared pursuant to G.S. 105-320 in a total original principal amount that does not exceed an amount, up to five dollars ($5.00), set by the governing body. The amount set by the governing body should be the estimated cost to the taxing unit of billing the taxpayer for the amounts due on a tax receipt or tax notice. Upon adoption of a resolution pursuant to this subsection, the tax collector shall not bill the taxpayer for, or otherwise collect, minimal taxes but shall keep a record of all minimal taxes by receipt number and amount and shall make a report of the amount of these taxes to the governing body at the time of the settlement. These minimal taxes shall not be a lien on the taxpayer's real property and shall not be collectible under Article 26 of this Subchapter. A resolution adopted pursuant to this subsection must be adopted on or before June 15 preceding the first taxable year to which it applies and remains in effect until amended or repealed by resolution of the taxing unit. A resolution adopted pursuant to this subsection shall not apply to taxes on registered motor vehicles.

(g) Minimal Refunds. - The governing body of a taxing unit that collects its own taxes may, by resolution, direct the taxing unit not to mail a refund for an overpayment of tax if the refund is less than fifteen dollars ($15.00). Upon adoption of a resolution pursuant to this subsection, the taxing unit shall keep a record of all minimal refunds by receipt number and amount and shall make a report of the amount of these refunds to the governing body at the time of the settlement and shall implement a system by which payment of the refund may be made to a taxpayer who comes into the office of the taxing unit seeking the refund. Unless the taxpayer requests the minimal refund in person at the office of the taxing unit before the end of the fiscal year in which the refund is due, the taxing unit must implement a system to apply the minimal refund as a credit against the tax liability of the taxpayer for taxes due to the taxing unit for the next succeeding year. An overpayment of tax bears interest at the rate set under G.S. 105-241.21 from the date the interest begins to accrue until a refund is paid or applied in accordance with this section. Interest accrues from the later of the date the tax was paid and the date the tax would have been considered delinquent under G.S. 105-360. A resolution adopted pursuant to this subsection must be adopted on or before June 15 preceding the first taxable year to which it applies and remains in effect until amended or repealed by resolution of the taxing unit.