Taxes in Ridgefield

Note: It is the responsibility of the property owner to contact the Tax Collector’s office if you have not received a tax bill. According to State Statutes, failure to receive a tax bill does not remove the obligation to remit taxes and the accrued interest charges.

Interest on delinquent taxes is charged at statutory interest rates.  Current interest is 18% per annum or 1 1/2% per month or part thereof with a minimum interest charge of $2.00.  Delinquent sewer use and hook-up charges are charged at the same 18% interest rate except that sewer hook-up charges have a minimum interest of $5.00.

There will be a $25 fee on all returned checks. 

All delinquent Motor Vehicle and Personal Property taxes are sent to a collection agency.  A collection fee of 15% will be added to the amount due.

Real Property Taxes

Real property taxes which exceed $100.00 may be paid quarterly. The quarterly due dates are as follows:

• 1st quarter - July 1st with a grace period to August 1st
• 2nd quarter - October 1st with a grace period to November 1st
• 3rd quarter - January 1st with a grace period to February 1st
• 4th quarter - April 1st with a grace period to May 1st

Motor Vehicle Taxes

Motor vehicle taxes are collected in July and January and are due in one installment.

Vehicle taxes are assessed on October 1st of each year and the bill is then due the following July 1st for the assessment period of October 1st to the following September 30th.

Vehicles registered after October 1st but prior to the following July 31st are assessed on a supplemental billing which is due the next January.

The payments that are due July 1st and January 1st have a one month grace period in which to pay without penalty.

Leased vehicles are assessed in the same manner but the bill is sent directly to the lessor; not the lessee.

Personal Property Taxes

Personal property taxes are collected quarterly if they exceed $100.00. The personal property taxes have the same due dates as the real property taxes. Personal property taxes can include office furniture and fixtures, leased equipment and vehicles which carry out of state license plates. The Tax Assessor must receive a declaration of property such as this every October for billing the following July.

Sewer Use Charges

Sewer use charge bills are levied against property owners who are serviced by the Town's sewer treatment plant. This charge is based on a "unit" method, not metered flow. The current unit charge for Sewer Area I is $390.00 and Sewer Area II is $340.00. Sewer use charges are billed annually in September.

Sewer use charges for Turner Hill (Sewer Area III) are levied against property owners who reside in the Turner Hill sub-division in northern Ridgefield. Sewer service is provided to these properties by the city of Danbury and then Danbury bills Ridgefield quarterly for these charges. Our office then sends an annual billing to the property owners. The current unit charge for Sewer Area III is $320.

Sewer charges are charged the same interest charges as taxes except for sewer assessment charges which have minimum of $5.00.

Sewer Assessment (Hook-up) Charges

Sewer assessment bills are levied against property owners who have either hooked-up to the Town's sewer system or own property where the Town has completed a sewer expansion project. Currently, the per unit hook-up fee for Sewer Area I is $5,700.00 per unit and Sewer Area II is $1,750.00. Arrangements can be made to pay the sewer hook-up fee over a ten year period with a 3% annual interest charge. Where the Town has extended sewer lines, repayment is based on restrictions of the bonding package that the Town has entered into. Sewer hook-up charges are billed annually in February.