Tax Collector

Please mail your request and include a self-addressed return envelope to: Collector, PO Box 86, Ashby, MA 01431. The cost for a Municipal Lien Certificate is $25 per parcel.

The Collector’s office cannot make changes to your bill. For real estate and personal property tax bills, you must file in writing on an approved form with the assessors.  For more information please contact the Assessor’s Office at 978-386-2424 x 137.

The information printed on your motor vehicle excise bill comes to us directly from the Registry of Motor Vehicles.  Any change of address must be submitted to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. For your convenience, this may be done by visiting their website at: https://atlas-myrmv.massdot.state.ma.us/myrmv/_/ 

We can provide you with a taxes paid statement for any date range you might require, by sending a request to collect@ashbyma.gov.

Yes, but we prefer a check, if possible. We do not accept credit cards in the Collector’s office.

Refunds are processed in the last week of every month.

Yes, it is located to the right of the Town Hall, next to the yellow post.

Partial payments can be made on real estate and personal property tax bills. However, excise bills must be paid in full.

The 1st and 2nd quarters of real estate taxes can be paid at the same time when they are created in July. The 3rd and 4th quarters can be paid at the same time when they are created in January.

At this time a paper bill will always be mailed for any tax.

Kelley and Ryan Associates are what is called a Deputy Collector. They are a third-party collection agency that towns and cities employ in the collection of delinquent excise and personal property taxes. When the delinquent taxes pass the first demand fee, they are turned over to the deputy collector where additional fees are added. Once bills are in the custody of the Deputy Collector payments will be due directly to the Deputy Collector, PO Box 202, Milford MA 01757, made payable to the Town of Ashby.

The first two quarters of the tax year are preliminary bills, based on the prior fiscal year. The second two quarters are actual tax bills, based on the certified tax rate and assessment.

Real estate is billed quarterly on the following schedule:

• Quarter 1: Billed July 1st, due August 1st
• Quarter 2: Billed October 1st, due November 1st
• Quarter 3: Billed January 1st, due February 1st
• Quarter 4: Billed April 1st, due May 1st

Personal property is billed on Quarter 3 & 4.

All bill types are due after 30 days. After that time, bills are subject to interest and fees. If a bill due date falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday the bill is due the next business day, normally Monday.

Personal Property tax is assessed and is the responsibility of the owner of record as of January 1st of the previous calendar year. For more information please contact the Assessor’s Office at 978-386-2424 x 137 or email: assess@ashbyma.gov

Excise tax bills generally go out once a year, usually around the middle of February. This bill covers the full calendar year and is an annual tax. You may receive a second bill during the year if certain actions are taken by you with the registry of motor vehicles. These can include reactivating a lapsed registration, switching the plate to a new vehicle, or registering additional vehicles within the year. All bill types are due after 30 days. After that time, bills are subject to interest and fees.

The fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th.

Upon receipt of the recorded deed from the Registry of Deeds, and after the following January 1st preliminary assessment period begins, the bills will be issued in the new owner’s name (actual bills are issued the following July).

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59, Section 11 states: “Taxes on real estate shall be assessed … to the person who is the owner on January 1” preceding the start of the Fiscal Year.

In accordance with this statute, the tax bill will have the January 1 owner’s name for the next fiscal year. The name of the new owner will replace the previous owner’s name the following Fiscal Year. As a courtesy, when a new deed is recorded we add the new owner’s name preceded by “c/o” (care of) to the second line of the bill.

For Example: Ashby’s Fiscal Year is July 1st – June 30th. Real Estate tax bills are sent out quarterly. If your property was purchased or sold after January 1, 2023, the ownership change will be reflected in the Fiscal Year 2025 Q1 (August 2024) bill.

If the tax is assessed in the name of the previous owner, the new owner is still responsible for all taxes on the property. The new owner should pay the bill even though the previous owner’s name appears on the bill. If you receive a bill, please forward it to the new owner or call our office at 978-386-2424 x 126.

Under state law, Chapter 60, Section 3, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred due to late payment. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to secure his/her tax bill when one is not received. If you do not receive a bill, you must contact the Collector’s office at 978-386-2424 x 126 for a statement. However, you must call before the due date of the bill.

You may be eligible for an exemption from all or some of your tax. In order to obtain an exemption for which you may qualify, you must file an application in writing on an approved form with the assessors. For more information please contact the Assessor’s Office at 978-386-2424 x 137.

Yes. The property owner is ultimately responsible for the taxes assessed on their property. An agreement to hold taxes in escrow for their payment by a mortgage company doesn’t pass that responsibility to the mortgage company. The mortgage company isn’t the property owner.

• If you receive a bill for a vehicle that you no longer own, it is still a valid bill. It will need to be paid, or you may contact the assessor’s office for an abatement. If an abatement is granted, but does not bring the bill to zero, the balance due will need to be paid by the due date of the bill. If it isn’t paid by the due date, you will run the risk of fees and interest being added to the bill.
• It is also recommended that you should pay the bill first if you are unable to get an abatement by the due date. Any abatement amount granted after payment will be refunded. Waiting for an abatement runs the risk of fees and interest being added to the bill once it goes past due. If the abatement does not reduce the past due bill to zero, any fees and interest added after the due date cannot be waived.

Your tax bill is based on the value of your property multiplied along with the current tax rate. For more information, please contact the Assessor’s Office at 978-386-2424 x 137