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Real Estate Tax
Quarterly Billing
For any fiscal year the assessment date is January 1 of the previous year. The assessors determine the value and the owner of each parcel as of the assessment date. State law mandates that the owner as of this date must appear on each of the four bills. Subsequent owners typically appear in the mailing address as a care of (C/O). Assessed owners are automatically updated July 1.
Preliminary Bills
Preliminary bills will be mailed on or about July 1 (first quarter) and October 1 (second quarter). These bills indicate an amount due only which is one quarter of the previous year’s net tax.
- How to calculate your preliminary bill: Divide the total amount billed for the prior fiscal year, less any exemptions and/or abatements, by two. This amount is your preliminary tax and is payable in two equal installments.
Actual Bills
Actual bills will be mailed on or about January 1 (third quarter) and April 1 (fourth quarter). These bills will show the assessed value of your property, the tax rate, the total amount of taxes due for the fiscal year, including the Community Preservation Act, and any betterments or liens. The fourth quarter bill concludes the fiscal year billing cycle.
- How to calculate your actual bill: Multiply the assessed value by the applicable tax rate and divide by 1,000. Add any additional charges, subtract the two preliminary payments made and divide the remainder by two. Your actual bills are payable in two equal installments.