Office Hours
4 PM to 6 PM Monday Evenings
email: taxcollector@townofheath.org
Click here for more information about:
Motor
Vehicle Excise Taxes
The following paragraphs address frequently asked questions and misconceptions regarding your property tax bill. Please click on the topic of interest in the boxes below.
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Bills |
Date |
Mailing Address |
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Location |
Assessment |
Abatements |
Estimated Bills: Have been issued because of the delays in finalizing the tax rate. We send estimated bills to maintain a cash flow and to reduce the need to borrow money in anticipation of tax revenue.
Due Date:
Tax bills are due in the collector's office on the due date.
Postmarks are not considered. Late payments are charged interest from
the date of mailing rather than the due date. This means that a
payment that is one day late is charged interest for 31 days! These policies
are established by the Massachusetts General Laws on taxation and are not
determined by the Town. Please try to have your payments in on time to
avoid these interest charges!
Mailing Address:
If you have moved, it is your responsibility to notify the tax collector.
Otherwise, your bill will continue to be mailed to your old address and
you may not receive it. You are responsible for payment of your tax bill
and any interest & penalties even if you have never receive it
as long as it was mailed to the best address on record.
Property Location:
There has been a lot of confusion about the location shown on the tax bill.
This location refers to the position of your parcel on the Heath assessors
maps. It is different from address you use for a street address or your
911 number. It refers only to the Assessors maps and nothing else.
Assessments:
Your property is valued by the Board of Assessors, not the Tax Collector.
If you have questions about your valuation please contact the Assessors.
Abatements: If you feel that your valuation is too high, you have the right to file for an abatement. Abatements are issued by the Board of Assessors (not the Tax Collector). Property owners normally should apply to the Assessors for an abatement within 30 days after the first half tax bill is mailed. In the current year, tax payers must wait until the actual bill (second half) is issued. This is because the estimated bills may not reflect the final valuations.
You can apply for an abatement if you feel that your property is valued higher than it's actual cash value, is not assessed fairly in comparision with other properties or is not properly classified. You can obtain an abatement application form from the door of the Assessors office