Bills:
Real estate and personal property tax bills are mailed twice a year, with quarterly payments due February 1st, May 1st, August 1st and November 1st.
August and November tax bills are referred to as the “Preliminary Bills” as they are based on an estimate of the tax due. Since our fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30, these bills are also called first and second quarter bills.
February and May bills (third and fourth quarter bills) are referred to as the “Actual Bill”. They represent the remaining tax on your property and are based on the actual assessed tax minus the amount already paid in the first and second quarters.
Payments must be received in the tax office by the due date to be considered timely.
If your payment is paid after the due date for any quarter, interest will accrue at 14% of the remainder of the amount due for that quarter.
Any unpaid balances after May 1st may result in tax liens on the property. Tax liens are subject to interest at 16%.
New Owners:
Massachusetts General Law requires that the name on tax bills be the owner of record on January 1st. If you purchase a property after the first of the year, please contact the Assessor’s Office to have the bill directed to you. You are still responsible for real estate taxes for property that you own, regardless of the name on the bill.
Mortgage Companies:
Tax Bills, by law, are sent to the property owner as of January 1st. If your mortgage company escrows your taxes, you may have to supply them with the tax payment information.
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