Frequently Asked Questions

Real estate and personal property taxes are billed in four installments during the city’s fiscal year and are mailed out prior to the day the bill is issued.  The billing cycle is:

1^st Quarter:        Issued July 1^st 

                                Due August 1^st or first business day of the month

2^nd Quarter:       Issued October 1^st

                                Due November 1^st or first business day of the month

3^rd Quarter:        Issued January 1^st

                                Due February 1^st or first business day of the month

4^th Quarter:        Issued April 1^st

                                              Due May 1^st or first business day of the month

No.  Payment is considered made when received by the Treasurer’s Office.  There is a statement on the back of every tax bill stating this.  The city isn’t responsible for the delivery of the payment.  The taxpayer should make sure their payment arrives on time, and if paid online or by check, the correct balance is deducted from the bank account.

No.  Payments must be received on or by the due date.  Interest and fees are not waived for late payments.

Yes.  The city is responsible for sending out tax bills to all taxpayers.  Real estate and personal property bills are mailed quarterly to the assessed owner as of January 1^st starting July 1^st. Excise bills are mailed out to the owner and address that the Registry of Motor Vehicles has on file and provides to the city. The property or vehicle owner is required to make sure they receive the bill or contact the city to find out what taxes are due, and that those taxes are paid by the due date.

Yes.  The property owner is ultimately responsible for the taxes assessed on their property.   An agreement to hold taxes in escrow for their payment by a mortgage company doesn’t pass that responsibility to the mortgage company.  The mortgage company isn’t the property owner.

When a real estate or personal property tax is not paid by the due date interest will start accruing at an annual interest rate of 14% until the past due balance is paid in full.  After the May 1^st due date, a $30.00 demand fee will be placed on the bill, and a demand notice will be mailed out for any bill that remains unpaid.   Real estate taxes that are past due after May 1^st, and issued a demand notice, can be subject to the city placing a lien against the property.

If you receive a bill for a vehicle that you no longer own, it is still a valid bill. It will need to be paid, or you may contact the assessor's office for an abatement. If an abatement is granted, but does not bring the bill to zero, the balance due will need to be paid by the due date of the bill. If it isn't paid by the due date, you will run the risk of fees and interest being added to the bill.

It is also recommended that you should pay the bill first if you are unable to get an abatement by the due date.  Any abatement amount granted after payment will be refunded.  Waiting for an abatement runs the risk of fees and interest being added to the bill once it goes past due.  If the abatement does not reduce the past due bill to zero, any fees and interest added after the due date cannot be waived.

Your tax bill is based on the value of your property multiplied along with the current tax rate. For more information, please contact the Assessor's Office at 978-674-4200.

Yes there are convenience fees that are charged when paying online. When paying with an e-check for any bill it would be $0.40 per transaction. When paying with a credit/debit card fees can vary. Tax bills are subject to at least 2.95% of the total amount paid with a minimum of $1.00 per transaction. Water bills are subject to at least 3.5% of the total amount paid with a minimum of $3.95 per transaction.

You will receive an email notifying you of the rejection, and it will contain the reason why. Online payment for the bill can take up to 3 business days from the date of rejection to become available for online payment again. You will be responsible to make sure payment is received by the Treasurer's office by the due date even if your online payment is rejected. Any payments rejected after the due date of a bill are subject to late fees and/or interest.