Real Estate Tax

 

The tax rate for fiscal year 2024 is $16.26 per thousand of assessed value. This is the rate for both commercial and residential property.

 

Tax bills are mailed four times per year and due quarterly. The 1st quarters are mailed on or about June 30th and are due on August 1st. The 2nd quarters are mailed on or about September 30 and are due on November 1st. The 3rd quarters are mailed on or about December 31st and are due on February 1st. The 4th quarters are mailed on or about March 31st and due on May 1st. If the first falls on a weekend, the bills are due the following Monday.
 

Payments may be made as follows:
 

Do not forget to sign and date your check. DO NOT DATE THE CHECK AHEAD. Checks cannot be held for a later deposit. A post dated check that is processed and not honored by the bank will result in penalties and fees and charges imposed by both your bank and the Town.
 

If you use electronic bill payment through your bank, please include the bill year, type of bill and bill number to ensure the proper posting of your payment.  Please note that your bank will actually create and mail a paper check to the town, which may not reach the Collector’s office by the due date. In our experience, delays of several days are common.
 

Please make checks payable to the Town of Bolton. Please include the address of the property you are paying, owners name and parcel ID if known. To obtain a receipt, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope and both the payment coupon and receipt portion of your bill.
 

You should contact the Collector’s Office at 978-779-6116 to request a statement.
 

The payments must be received on or before the due date to avoid interest charges. If payment is not made, the account will begin to accrue interest at the rate of 14% per annum, computed from the date the bill was due. A demand notice will be sent after the fourth quarter due date each fiscal year. A demand fee of $30.00 will be charged against the account in addition to the interest. If the account remains delinquent after June 30th of the fiscal year, a tax lien will be placed on the property and recorded with the Registry of Deeds. A tax lien is the first step in the foreclosure process.
 

Under state law, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred do to late payment. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to secure his/her tax bill when one is not received. If you do not receive a bill, you must contact the Collector’s office at 978-779-6116 for a statement. However, you must call before the due date of the bill.

 

If a bank or mortgage company escrows your taxes, you must insure that they make timely payments. Most banks use a tax service that will notify them directly of the amount they need to pay for your taxes. However, if you have recently purchased, refinanced or have a mortgage company that does not use a tax service, it will be up to you to notify them by forwarding your tax bill to them. Your mortgage company can tell you if you need to send them the bill and where to send it.
 

State law requires that property tax bills show the name of the legal owner of record as of January 1st of the year in which the tax was assessed.
 

This office recognizes, however, that properties change hands throughout the year. We attempt to re-mail returned bills c/o the new owners, at the address shown in the deed, as soon as the ownership can be established. All new owners are encouraged to contact the office as soon as possible after a purchase to obtain a copy of any bill that has been issued and make sure that the Assessors and Collector have your local mailing address. Failure to receive a tax bill does not diminish your responsibility to pay the bill.
 

An additional real estate tax, known as the Supplemental Real Estate Tax, may be issued to a taxpayer who has been issued an occupancy permit during the fiscal year and the new construction increases the parcel value by over 50%. This bill is due 30 days from the issue date.
 

Questions about valuation or abatement requests can be directed to the Assessor’s Office at 978-779-5556. Questions about payments or balances can be directed to the Collector’s Office at 978-779-6116.