NCPTS now a complete property tax solution

The NCACC Collaborative Property Tax System (NCPTS) is now available as a complete and comprehensive product to North Carolina counties. The Land Records and CAMA (Computer-Assisted Mass Appraisal) module is the final addition to NCPTS, offered to counties without a licensing fee through the Association. The system’s Billing module was deployed in 1999, followed by Collections in March 2003.

NCPTS automates, streamlines and integrates tax administration functions such as real estate, personal property, vehicle tax, billing, collections – and now land records and appraisal – through a single tax software system that has been developed to adhere to North Carolina property tax law.

“This is not Florida or Massachusetts software being overhauled for sale in North Carolina,” said Henderson County Tax Assessor Stan Duncan. “It is software developed for use by North Carolina counties, based on North Carolina law.”

Wake County originally contracted with IIS, a North Carolina-based software services provider and NCACC Associate Member, to develop the system. The county and IIS subsequently transferred ownership of NCPTS to the NCACC in 2003 so that all interested counties could take advantage of the system software without having to pay a licensing fee. IIS provides ongoing NCPTS implementation and support services.

Duncan is chair of the NCPTS Software Steering Committee, which oversees program maintenance, deployments and functional enhancements.

“NCPTS offers us the opportunity to move ahead, both in terms of technology platform and software functionality,” Duncan said. “From my 20-plus years of experience with the Property Tax Division, I know there are a lot of good ideas already in place by our North Carolina counties.

“All too often various software programs were more of a constraint instead of a tool. The collaborative approach of NCPTS validates the various and good ideas and brings them to the forefront by consensus. The benefits of such collaboration to each county are far greater than could be achieved by any one county going alone.”

Both Wake and Henderson counties recently implemented the new Land Records and CAMA module, which integrates into their existing Billing and Collections modules.

Pitt County is implementing the complete suite of NCPTS modules, including Billing and Collections and Land Records and CAMA, and is on schedule to be in production by May. Wayne, Catawba and Harnett counties are utilizing the Billing and Collections modules, and Mecklenburg County is scheduled to realize implementation by November.

NCACC Executive Director David F. Thompson said he is excited that the Association can offer counties a system that automates and streamlines county tax assessment and collections responsibilities.

“The success of the NCPTS Billing and Collections modules has made us all the more confident that the Land Records and CAMA module can help our members by identifying taxable properties and collecting taxes on those properties. Our organization is committed to helping our members by alerting them to the value NCPTS can provide,” he said.