H
enry County, Virginia is considering a change to its tax payment schedule to alleviate the financial burden on taxpayers. Currently, real estate taxes are due October 1 with a 66-day grace period, while personal property taxes are due December 5 with no extension. This means that both types of taxes must be paid by December 5, resulting in late fees for those who miss this deadline.

    Henry County Treasurer Scott Grindstaff has proposed altering the payment schedule to stagger the due dates and provide more flexibility for taxpayers. He recommends keeping real estate taxes due October 1 but shortening the grace period to 30 days, making the delinquent date November 1. For personal property taxes, he suggests adding a 15-day grace period, which would push the delinquent date to December 16.

    Grindstaff's goal is to avoid having taxpayers make both payments around the same time, particularly during the holiday season when expenses are already high. He notes that many people have been forced to pay late fees in the past due to the current system. A public hearing on this proposal will be held at the Henry County Administrative Building on March 25, and if approved, the changes would take effect this year.