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Real Estate Taxes

How is my Property Value Determined?

Property taxes are the main source of revenue for most municipalities, including Northborough.  All non-exempt properties, including those owned by businesses, are taxed at a flat rate which is adjusted each year. Some properties are exempt from real estate taxes, including land owned by the town, state, churches, and charities. For current fiscal year 2024, the tax rate is to be determined. The tax rate for the fiscal year is determined each fall.

The amount of the property tax bill is based on the assessed value of property, any approved exemptions and the property tax rate. The property tax assessment is determined on January 1 of each year and is based on valid sales from the previous calendar year. For example, the effective date for FY2024 values is January 1, 2023 and are based on valid sales from calendar year 2022.  Some of the other factors on which values are based include the land area, home square footage, age and condition of the home, the type of neighborhood the home is in.

Every ten years, the assessor’s department is required to inspect every house in the town. Our staff performs inspections regularly. If you are not home, the inspector will take a confirm the dimensions of your home, take a front and rear picture and leave a tag on your door if you would like to schedule an interior inspection. You are not required to allow an inspection, but an inspection must be performed if you wish to be granted an abatement on your taxes.

For more information, check out the Taxpayer's Guide to Assessing and the State Property Value Reassessment Guidelines.

Understanding Your Quarterly Tax Bill

The fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 of each year. The tax bill is based off this fiscal year system and is broken into four quarters, with due dates falling on the first day of August, November, February and May.  Quarter 1 and 2 (August and November) are preliminary bills and based on the previous years assessment.  Quarter 3 and 4 (actual bills) reflect the new property value and the new tax rate.   

Receiving an Abatement

If you believe the value of your property is incorrect, there is a process by which you may receive an abatement. By state law, applications for abatements must be received or postmarked by the USPS by February 1.  The Board of Assessors has no authority to act on late submissions

Please feel free to contact our office for more information regarding the abatement process.

Receiving an Exemption

The town offers several partial and full exemptions for property tax. Full exemptions are based on state-defined lists of use exemptions, including churches, veteran’s lodges, and charities. If you believe you may qualify for one of these exemptions, you must submit a 3ABC form by March 1st to the assessor’s office.

We also offer partial exemptions as tax relief options. You may qualify for an exemption if you are:

  • Over 60 (income and asset limitations apply)
  • A veteran with a 10%+ disability
  • Legally Blind

Please see our Tax Relief – Exemptions page for more information or contact our office.

Frequently Asked Questions

My third and/or fourth quarter is more than my first two quarter bills. Why did it change?

The first two quarter bills are estimated based on your previous year’s assessment. If this estimation was too low, the additional amount required to make up your yearly tax total will be added to the third and fourth quarter bills.

Why was someone from the assessor’s office taking pictures of my house?

Our database includes pictures of every property in order to maintain accurate records. Our office always strives to be polite and unobtrusive. If our presence is unwelcome, please feel free to let us know.

Why was the value of my property raised significantly from last year when I have not made any changes?

Northborough is an increasingly popular place to live, and as such property values are moving up year to year. There are trends in the market which means certain types of houses may be selling at higher values than previously. Furthermore, the neighborhood you live in may be in high demand. All of these things can affect your value in a given year.

My property card says that my house is a 2 bedroom when really it has 3 bedrooms. Can you fix this?

We follow specific guidelines that determine whether something is considered a bedroom. If you believe there is an error regarding bedrooms or any other specific features of your house, please contact our office.