(a) The governing authority of any county, with the approval of the tax collector or tax commissioner, may provide by resolution that all taxes due the state or the county remaining unpaid either on November 15 or December 1 in each year as specified in such resolution shall bear interest at the rate specified in Code Section 48-2-40 from the date specified in the resolution. The tax collector or tax commissioner shall collect the interest on the unpaid taxes and account for such interest in his final settlement.

(b) On the date specified in the resolution in each year in the counties in which the governing authority, with the approval of the tax collector or tax commissioner, has changed the date on which state and county taxes are due, the tax collector or tax commissioner shall furnish to the commissioner and to the county governing authority a report showing the amount of state taxes and the amount of county taxes remaining unpaid on the tax digest. Every 30 days thereafter until a final settlement is made with both the state and the county, the tax collector or tax commissioner shall furnish to the commissioner and the county governing authority a report showing the amount of state taxes collected and the amount of county taxes collected after the date specified in the resolution to the date of rendering the report. Each report shall show also the amount of interest collected from delinquent or defaulting taxpayers.

(c) Each tax collector or tax commissioner in counties in which the governing authority, with the approval of the tax collector or tax commissioner, has changed the date on which state and county taxes are due shall make final settlements with both the state and the county within four months after the date specified in the resolution of the year in which the taxes become due, unless the time for the settlement is extended by the commissioner as authorized by Code Section 48-5-154. Upon failure of any tax collector or tax commissioner to make final settlement within the time provided in this subsection, the tax collector or tax commissioner shall forfeit one-fourth of his commissions unless some good and sufficient reason rendering the making of the final settlement impossible is given.