How fees for paying property taxes vary

The fees Long Island residents incur in paying their property taxes online vary by municipality and by payment method, although the service provided is the same. Newsday requested data on the fees from the Island's 13 towns and two cities; some replied partially or not at all. Tens of thousands of Long Islanders make use of the online options in paying their property taxes. The data shows how these fees can add tens or hundreds of dollars to their tax bills, which already rank among the highest in the country. You can read more here.

Here is data on the variations, which can result in fees on a $10,000 tax bill that range from 90 cents to $375. This database was posted on Aug., 3, 2018.

Paying a $10,000 tax bill with a debit card

Some vendors charge a flat fee while others charge a percentage of the tax amount due.

* Debit card fees in Oyster Bay and Smithtown vary by card provider.

Paying a $10,000 tax bill with a credit card

* Two companies manage credit card payments in Brookhaven and charge different fees. Fees in Oyster Bay vary by card provider.

Paying a $10,000 tax bill with an eCheck

* The eCheck fee in Babylon is $2.50 for tax bills under $10,000 and $15 for tax bills over $10,000.

The side-by-side data behind the charts

So, what does the average resident pay?

The average payment in each municipality last year, arrived at by dividing the total amount of taxes paid online by the number of tax bills paid online. Some municipalities did not provide this data. It's lower because many chose the flat fee.

Javascript charts via amCharts.com

More details on the online tax filing arrangements

The vendors, the number of online filers, what they owed and the fees they were charged. Some figures are approximate.