Massachusetts general law requires that we must send the property tax bill to the owner of record as of the January 1 date immediately preceding the start of the old fiscal year.
This means that if you had purchased property in Montague after January 1 the tax bills for July 1 of that year to June 30 of the following year would be in the name of the previous owner and in this case the bills would be mailed to the previous owner by the Post Office. All attempts are made to include an in c/o for a new owner but the registry of deeds has a month delay in forwarding copies of deeds to the municipalities. Please call the Tax Collector’s office to have a bill mailed to you.
The Town of Montague has implemented a semi-annual tax payment cycle. The first bill, or the preliminary bill, will be mailed to the homeowner on July 1. The maximum amount of the preliminary bill may not exceed 50 per cent of the net tax due on the parcel for the previous year. This bill is due October 1. Your second (and actual) tax bill will then be sent to you on or about December 31. This bill will show the assessed valuation of your property, the tax rate and the amount you owe for the fiscal year, including any betterment or other charges that are added to the tax. The tax bill will also show the amount of the preliminary tax billed earlier as a credit against your actual tax for the year. The balance of your tax must be paid by April 1. If for some reason actual tax bills are mailed after December 31, you will have until May 1 to pay the entire balance of the bill.
Property tax payments can now be made online from your checking account or a credit card. Certain fees will apply to credit card transactions. There is no charge to pay from your checking account. Or you may pay in the Tax Collector’s office by cash or check. We do not accept credit cards in the office.
Payments are due in the Tax Collector’s office by the close of business on the due date. Interest of 14% per annum will be charged for the number of days the payment is overdue after the due date. Timely payment of all bills is generally a prerequisite to preserving an owner’s right to appeal an abatement decision of the Board of Assessors.
Postmarks do not verify timely payment. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure that tax bills arrive in the Tax Collector’s office on or before the due dates.
To request a receipt, you must enclose both copies of your bill and a stamped self-addressed envelope.
Do not mail cash.
