Boston Real Estate Tax

Boston real estate tax is imposed on real estate property in Boston. The value of all real property in Boston is estimated by the Assessing Department of the city of Boston. This property valuation is very important in tax calculation. The value is calculated based on the sale value of the real estate property as on the first day of January each year. The Taxpayer Referral & Assistance Center (TRAC) of the Assessing Department handles all the queries and problems of property and real estate taxpayers in Boston.

The Boston property tax is the most important source of revenue. It is ad valorem tax and the tax is imposed on all individual properties and the rate of taxation is dependent on the value of the property. The process of deducing the value of property in Massachusetts is known as assessments. The Boston property tax rates are determined by dividing the residential portion of the property tax imposed with the total calculated value of all the properties in Boston. The procedure is the same for residential, personal and commercial property.

Property tax in Boston needs to be paid within the due date; otherwise interest is accrued. Payments should be made within thirty days of mailing or interest rate of 14% per annum is accrued. A demand notice is also issued. Information regarding tax bill payment can be obtained from the official website of the Assessing Department. The tax billing system of Boston operates on a quarterly basis:

• 1st Quarter - July 1st
• 2nd Quarter - October 1st
• 3rd Quarter - January 1st
• 4th quarter - April 1st

The Boston residential property tax rate is $10.99 per thousand value of dollars. The Boston commercial property tax rate is $26.87 per thousand value of dollars. Boston real estate tax can be paid by making use of the online bill payment program using direct debit. Alternatively, the tax payments can be mailed to the following address:

Collector of Taxes
City of Boston
P.O. Box 55808
Boston, MA 02205-5808