RELEASE DATE: Monday, December 5, 2022
The Polk County Tax Collector’s office is warning customers of the latest attempt by private online actors seeking to overcharge for the process and delivery of vehicle registration renewals.
In one recent example, a customer paid $202.08 at Swifttags.com. However, had the customer used the Tax Collector’s Office for the same online transaction, it would have cost $135.10. That is a difference of $66.98!
Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector for Polk County, stated, “I am very concerned about the latest attempt from private online actors to overcharge customers in Polk County for government services without making it clear there are cheaper options. I do not want to see customers being taken advantage of, and unfortunately, it is happening more and more online, especially with our elderly residents.”
Several factors contribute to the confusion. For example, customers using search engines like Google or Bing to search for the Tax Collector’s Office and renew their registration renewals online may unknowingly click on one of these private online actors. Search engines prioritize advertisements from these private online actors first, so customers are being directed to private websites by mistake. These sites have no affiliation with the Tax Collector’s Office and overcharge for the same services that cost less with the Tax Collector’s Office.
Given this situation, the Tax Collector’s Office recommends that customers who need to renew their vehicle registrations, do so by going to polktaxes.com directly, instead of using a search engine.
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About the Office of Joe G. Tedder, Tax Collector for Polk County, Florida
Joe G. Tedder is elected by the people of Polk County to serve as their Tax Collector. The Office of Tax Collector is provided in Florida Constitution to serve in the state political subdivisions known as counties. The Tax Collector’s Office for Polk County has service centers in Bartow, Lakeland, Davenport, and Lake Wales. The Tax Collector’s Office serves over 720,000 residents in Polk County, offering services such as: Driver licenses and identification cards; motor vehicle registrations, decals, license plates, titles and disabled person parking placards; real estate and tangible personal property taxes; county local business taxes; tourist development taxes; concealed weapons license applications and renewals; and, other services.