The Assessor’s Office is responsible for the valuation of all real and personal property along with the administration of motor vehicle excise tax and public information used by appraisers, realtors, attorneys, and the general public.
**The Assessors Office has moved to Room 103 on the first floor of Town Hall!**
Real Estate Tax Exemptions
You may be eligible to receive an exemption from a portion of your real estate tax. Learn more about the the exemption which you feel you qualify for below. Then, fill out the application and send it into our office. We will then review it and contact you as to your eligibility. All applications must be received in the Assessor’s Office by April 1. Questions? Call our office at (978) 671-0971 or email us. Applications can be picked up at 365 Boston Rd. Room 103.
If you have a service-connected disability of 10% of more, you are entitled to a property tax exemption. Please contact the Assessor’s office for more information regarding the qualifications. CLAUSE 22-$800 / 22A-$1,500 / 22C-$3,000 / 22D-Full / 22E-$2,000CLAUSE 22 – To qualify, the taxpayer must be a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran AND have a service connected disability of 10% or more OR have been awarded the Purple Heart OR be a veteran of the Spanish, Philippine or Chinese Expedition OR be a parent of a veteran who lost their life during wartime service OR be a surviving spouse of a WW1 Veteran CLAUSE 22A – To qualify, the taxpayer must be a veteran who has: lost one foot OR one hand OR one eye during wartime service OR have been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Air Force Cross or Navy Cross. CLAUSE 22C – To qualify, the taxpayer must be a veteran who has: Total disability in line of duty OR Received assistance in acquiring “specially adapted housing.” CLAUSE 22D – To qualify, the taxpayer must be a veteran who is a: Surviving spouse of veteran who lost their lives as a result of being in a combat zone, so long as they have not remarried. CLAUSE 22E – To qualify, the taxpayer must be a veteran or the surviving spouse of a veteran who has: been certified by the Veterans Administration to have a 100% disability and is incapable of working. A certificate of 100% disability must be filed annually.
If you are 65 years old or older, you may qualify for a property tax exemption if you meet the income, asset and ownership requirement. Every year the Massachusetts Department of Revenue provides the Assessors with the maximum amount of income and the maximum amount of assets an applicant can have to qualify for a property tax exemption. Please contact the Assessors office for more information regarding the qualifications. CLAUSE 41C – $1,000 To qualify, a property owner must be over 65 years of age as of July 1 AND must have primary residence in Massachusetts for ten years AND owned property in the state for five years AND must have occupied their current property as of July 1 AND all co-owners must have a whole estate (the value of personal property excluding domicile) of less than $42,600 if single; $58,575 if married AND all co-owners; must have an income less than $28,687 if single, $43,030 if married.
If you were widowed prior to July 1st of the current year, you may qualify for a property tax exemption if you meet the asset requirement provided by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue each year. Please contact the Assessors office for more information regarding the qualifications. ELDERLY, SURVIVING SPOUSE, MINOR CHILD
CLAUSE 17D – $350 To qualify, a property owner must be over 65 years of age as of July 1 OR a surviving spouse OR surviving minor child AND must have owned and occupied the property for five years AND must have a whole estate (the value of personal property less domicile) of less than $40,000.
If the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission for the Blind has declared you legally blind prior to July 1st of the current year; you are entitled to a property tax exemption. Please contact the Assessors office for more information regarding the qualifications. BLIND PERSONS
CLAUSE 37A – $1,000 To qualify, a property owner must be a legal resident of the Commonwealth, own and occupy the property as his/her domicile, AND file Proof of Blindness each year with the application. To download an application please click on the following link: Clause 37AFOR OLDER CITIZENS – TAX DEFERRAL
CLAUSE 41A – DELAY PAYMENT OF YOUR TAX To qualify, a property owner must be over 65 years of age as of July 1 AND have primary residence AND have owned property in the state in Massachusetts for five years AND have occupied property as of July 1, AND have a total income no greater than $20,000 and assets no greater than $40,000 per year. Qualifying property owners must enter into a Tax Deferral and Recovery Agreement, which is a lien that is recorded on their property at the Registry of Deeds in Lowell. The interest rate for repayment is 4% per annum. Repayment must occur upon the transfer of the property or the owner’s demise. To download an application please click on the following link: Clause 41A
You may apply for an exemption any time after July 1st. The deadline to file is the following March by the 31st of the month. That gives an applicant 9 months to apply for an exemption each year. An applicant must file a new application every year in order to qualify for an exemption.
Property tax exemptions are applied directly to your property tax bills on the 3rd and 4th quarter bills, which are the bills mailed December 31st and April 1st.
You should notify us as soon as the sale has been finalized. Instead of applying your exemption to the property tax bill, we will process the exemption in a check and mail it to you at your new address once all real estate taxes for your former property are paid in full for the fiscal year.
Personal Property Tax
Questions regarding personal property valuation or abatement requests can be directed to the Assessor’s Office at (978) 671-0971.
Questions about personal property payments or balances can be directed to the Collector of Taxes at (978) 671-0920.