NORCROSS, Ga., Jan. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Official Payments Corp., wants Texas property owners to be aware that the due date for paying property taxes is Tuesday, January 31, 2012. Anyone who misses this deadline will be charged penalty and interest fees that will continue to accrue until the tax is paid.

"The Lone Star State is fairly aggressive when it comes to collecting its due," said Alex P. Hart, President and CEO of Official Payments. "The penalty fees alone can add up to as much as 12 percent, depending on how long the tax remains unpaid. Interest gets charged at the rate of one percent per month, with no maximum. We want Texans to know that they can use a debit or credit card to pay their property taxes online at www.OfficialPayments.com anytime between now and January 31, and their taxes will be officially paid in time to meet the deadline."

Taxpayers who register for My Account can take advantage of a faster and easier way to pay with E-Wallet. This new feature enables users to securely store debit card, credit card or bank account information. Stored payment information will be conveniently prefilled the next time a registered user logs in and completes a transaction.

About Official Payments

Official Payments Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Official Payments Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: OPAY), is a leading provider of electronic payment solutions for the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 27 state governments, the District of Columbia, more than 4,600 local and municipal government agencies, more than 350 colleges and universities, and other public and private interests in all 50 states. Official Payments customers can pay federal taxes, state and local taxes, property taxes, and other bills such as utilities and college tuition with credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks and Bill Me Later via online, telephone, point of sale and other channels. Visit www.OfficialPayments.com for more information.

Official Payments is not a tax advisor and does not provide advice on any tax requirements. Use of any information from this announcement or site or any other web site referred to is for general information only and does not represent personal tax advice either expressed or implied. You are encouraged to seek professional tax advice for tax questions and assistance.

The tax due dates outlined in this release are obtained from a taxing authority and it is not the responsibility of Official Payments to communicate any changes or updates. Taxpayers are responsible for determining tax deadlines.

SOURCE Official Payments Corp.