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According to the Department of Revenue, the motor vehicle excise is imposed for the privilege of registering a motor vehicle.  It is an assessment in lieu of a personal property tax, however it is billed on a calendar year, not a fiscal year like real and personal property.  The amount of the motor vehicle excise...

This is the title given to an initiative petition adopted by the voters of Massachusetts in 1980. It restricts the increase in the tax levy to two and a half percent of the prior year’s tax levy, plus new growth, overrides and/or debt exclusions. Proposition 2½: does not apply to individual tax bills.

Physical changes to property such as an addition to the house are applied up to June 30 for the next fiscal year values. The assessed value is an estimate of what the property could have sold for on the date of valuation (January 1) if it had been available for sale, and exposed to the...

An assessment, by law, must be at market value (a.k.a. full and fair cash value) as of January 1 of each year. Every three years the Department of Revenue (D.O.R.) certifies that assessments are at market value by reviewing the sales data within the town.  (Between the triennial certification periods assessed values are reviewed and...

Market value is the major focus of most real property appraisals.  Usually included in the definition is the price that a typically motivated buyer will give a typically motivated seller, as of a specified date, allowing for a reasonable exposure time in the market.  It should be noted that the sale price of a property...

Exemptions Exemptions to Persons - Massachusetts General Laws contain several statutes that provide for individual exemptions from real property tax bills.  Personal exemptions are specific to the individual and applied to the owners’ real estate.  Exemptions are available for veterans with a war-service connected disability; “legally” blind person; a surviving spouse or minor children of...

ABATEMENTS GRANTED Upon Board of Assessors vote on the abatement application, the “disposition of application” section at the bottom of the abatement application will be completed by Assistant Assessor. This section includes notes on adjustments to value and tax amounts that need to be made on the Town’s records. The Board of Assessors sign off...

Actual tax bills are normally mailed by the Tax Collector’s office at end of December. Property valuations are printed on the bill. If a property owner does not agree with the valuation of their property, the resolution process begins with an abatement application.  The time period for applying for a real and personal property abatement...

An abatement is a reduction in the level of taxation faced by an individual or company. Examples of an abatement include a tax decrease, a reduction in penalties or a rebate.  If an individual or business overpays its taxes or receives a tax bill that is too high, they can request an abatement from the...

Copies: $1.00 per property record card $2.00 per faxed property record card $1.00 per page for deeds $1.00 per reduced size of tax map (11x17") Abutters List: There is a $25.00 fee for a certified abutters list for a specified parcel. The Board of Assessors have up to ten days to respond to a written...

Property deeds, plans and surveys are available for the public to purchase from the Board of Assessors. The following information may be obtained by calling our office: Owner name and mailing address Parcel identification number Land area Deed book, deed page, deed date Tax rate This information is also available online on the Registry of...

Goshen residents can now access their property listings electronically by clicking on this link. The site includes parcel data and is being provided as a service to the residents and taxpayers of Goshen.  Please note that any recent data updates and new construction made in our live office database may not be reflected in online...