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. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to obtain their bill as not receiving a bill does not relieve you of the obligation to pay your taxes on time. (MA General Laws, Chapter 60, Section 3)
The Town of Montague has implemented a quarterly tax payment cycle. The first bill, which will include the first two quarterly payment coupons (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. The first quarter payment is due August 1 (or the next business day following the 1st if it is a weekend or holiday). The second quarter payment is due November 1 (or the next business day following the 1st if it is a weekend or holiday). The 3rd and 4th quarter payment coupons (actual bills which typically include any tax rate changes or assessment changes) will be mailed on or before January 1st. The 3rd quarter payment will be due on February 1st (or the next business day following the 1st if it is a weekend or holiday), and the 4th quarter payment will be due on May 1 (or the next business day following the 1st if it is a weekend or holiday). The actual 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 paid as a credit against your actual tax for the year. The balance of your tax must be paid by May 1 (or the next business day following the 1st if it is a holiday or weekend).
Property tax payments can now be made online from your checking account or a credit card (click Pay Online from main page of website). Certain fees will apply to credit card transactions. There is a minimal charge to pay from your checking account. You may pay in the Tax Collector’s office by cash or check. We do accept credit cards in the office, however, there is a bank fee applied to all credit card transactions.
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 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.
