How to appeal your property tax value in Massachusetts
4 sourced points for Massachusetts, each linked to the official page it comes from.
- An appeal starts by filing an abatement application with your city or town's board of assessors, on the approved form. The forms are at the local assessors office. mass.govOct 21
- To keep your right to appeal to the Appellate Tax Board, pay every installment on time with no interest charges. Exceptions apply when the tax is $5,000 or less. mass.govOct 21
- The assessors have three months to act on your application. If they don't act, it's deemed denied. mass.govOct 21
- You then have three months to appeal to the Appellate Tax Board, counted from the date of the assessors' action, not the date the notice was mailed. Most single family home owners use the informal procedure. mass.govOct 21
The dates
| Date and source | Deadline | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| February 1 every yearmass.govOct 21 | Appeal deadline Ask your assessors for an abatement | All 14 Massachusetts counties |
| Varies, see rule set by noticemass.govOct 21 | Appeal deadline Appeal to the Appellate Tax Board Within three months of the date the assessors acted, not the date they mailed it. If they don't act within three months, it counts as denied, and you have three months from then. | All 14 Massachusetts counties |