Deleting a step from paying both vehicle property taxes and registration fees has made the job of Beaufort County tax collector a lot easier.

Wyn Kinion took on the appointed position since October 2013, just as the North Carolina’s Tag & Tax Together program was rolling out across the state. The program was at the behest of North Carolina legislators to make the process of  vehicle tax and registration fee collection more efficient.

“What the General Assembly decided to do, was they wanted to try to make it easier for the taxpayers to pay and do everything at the same time,” Kinion said.

It’s working, Kinion said. His office is collecting more in taxes and many residents have commented positively on taking a separate trip out to the tax office to pay vehicle taxes. In 2012, Beaufort County’s tax collector pulled in only 82.89 percent of taxes due on vehicles. So far this year, 85.43 percent have been collected.

This doesn’t mean more money, however, as the levy amount between the two years dropped: $1.6 million to $1.1 million. Wyn said the difference is likely due to a decrease in the number of vehicles, and/or their cost, in the county.

The only negative has been some confusion on the part of residents who owed taxes for the previous year: if they go in to pay taxes and registration fees, they’ll find they must first clear the owed taxes at the local tax office before returning to the license tag agency to pay registration fees and vehicle taxes on the upcoming year.

“If a person is delinquent in 2013, we, with the help of DMV, will do what we call ‘block a tag number,’ if they go to renew the tag, they’ll be told they owe the back taxes,” Kinion explained.

“Some people have said, ‘I’m being double taxed,’ but you’re paying the taxes you haven’t paid and are paying the current taxes going forward,” Kinion said.

Kinion said, in his book, the program has been successful — the only thing missing is being able to get a vehicle inspected as part of the one-stop process.