Frequently Asked Questions

If you do not receive your bill within a few days of the issue date (please see schedule below), please contact the Treasurer/Collector's office at 978-526-2030. Our office hours are Monday thru Wednesday 9:00am to 5:00pm and Thursday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Please remember it is your responsibility to make sure you pay your bill, regardless if it received. Under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 60, Section 3, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity either of a tax or the proceedings for its collection. We mail the bills to the addresses that are provided to us from the Assessor's Office. Real Estate and Personal Property Tax bills are mailed four times a year. The quarterly tax payments are due on the following dates: August 1st; November 1st; February 1st; May 1st. The bills are issued thirty (30) days prior to these due dates. Motor Vehicle bills are annually issued early in the calendar year for all vehicles, as well as throughout the year for any changes to vehicle registration or ownership initiated at the RMV. It is recommended you contact the Tresurer/Collector's Office if you do not see an excise bill by the end of January for your annual excise tax, as well as within 30 days of any changes initiated at the RMV. Water/Sewer bills are issued quarterly, typically in the months of August, November, February, and May. These bills are due 30 days after issue. Please contact the Water Department at 978-526-6424 with any questions on these bills, including issue dates. Boat excise bills are issued annually in the fall and are due within 60 days of issue. Please contact the Harbormaster at 978-526-7832 with questions on boat excise bills.

Per Massachusetts General Law, the owner of record on January 1st of a given calendar year shall remain owner of record for the following fiscal year. If the Assessor's have a copy of your deed, your name will be shown on the bill as "in care of". It is especially important to make sure you are receiving/paying bills during this transitional period, as you will still be responsible for the taxes (and any resulting penalty) in the event you do not pay timely. Please contact the Treasurer/Collector's Office at 978-526-2030 with any questions.

No, we do not accept postmarks. The payment must be received on or before close of business on the due date. If you are unsure what time the office closes on any given due date, please call 978-526-2030. Payments may be made online 24 hours a day.

Please contact the Treasurer/Collector's office at 978-526-2030 immediately and we will forward the bill to the new owner.

The tax bill will be mailed directly to you. It is your responsibility to forward the bill to your bank/mortgage company payment, if required to do so.

Yes, credit, debit, and ACH-electronic check payments are accepted online. Please visit the Online Payments center for more information.

Please contact the Assessor's Office immediately to see if you are eligible to receive an abatement of the bill. If not, you are responsible for the payment of that bill.