Real Estate Taxes

ASSESSED OWNER OF RECORD:

Massachusetts general law requires that the property tax bill must be sent to the owner of record as of January 1st of the previous year. This means if your deed was recorded after January 1, 2015, the fiscal year 2016 tax bill would be in the former owner’s name since they were the owner of record as of January 1, 2015. In many cases this bill will be sent to or forwarded to the former owner if an in-care-of has not been added to the tax bill. If an in-care-of has been added to the tax bill, chances are that the Assessor’s would use your old mailing address to add the in-care-of to the tax bill  as they get their billing information from the actual deed. Please make sure the Assessor’s office has your correct mailing information. To check your records click here.

Billing addresses are updated with the Assessor’s office. Click here to update your address.

DUE DATES:

The Town of Holland currently bills on a quarterly basis. Real Estate and Personal Property tax bills for the fiscal year cover the period of July 1st of the previous year to June 30th of the current fiscal year. Payments are due by 4 p.m. in the Tax Collector's office on the due dates. The first quarter bill will issued on July 1st and due on August 1st, the second quarterly bill will be due on November 1st  (or the following regular business day anytime a due date falls on a weekend or holiday)

The taxrate should be set in time for the third quarterly bill to be mailed for January 1st and that bill will be due on February 1st. The final or fourth quarter bill will be due on May 1st.

Postmarks are not considered payment in a timely fashion per Massachusetts General Law. Interest at an annual rate of 14% per annum is assessed on all payments received after the due dates. Interest on Real Estate and Personal Property taxes is charged from the due date until the tax is paid.  A tax balance still remaining unpaid after May 1st will result in the issuance of a demand bill and an additional $20.00 fee.  It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure that tax bills arrive in the Collector's office on or before the due dates. The failure to receive your tax bill does not stay the collection of that bill. Billing addresses are updated with the Assessor’s office click here to update your address.

PAYMENT OPTIONS:

  1. Mail the remittance copy of the tax bill and a check or money order to Collector, Holland Town Hall, 27 Sturbridge Road, Holland, MA 01521.  
  2. Pay in person at the Tax Collector’s office located on the first floor of the Holland Town Hall, 27 Sturbridge Road, Holland, MA 01521. Office hours are Monday 9 to 12 & 1 to 4, Tuesday 9 to 12 & 1 to 2, Wednesday 9 to 12 & 1 to 2. The Town Hall is closed on Friday.
  3. Use the mail slot in the Tax Collector's door in the Town Hall, or the drop-off mail box located at the side entrance of the Town Hall.  Please do not put cash in the drop box!   
  4. Pay online: link to online payment login.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Massachusetts law states that your failure to receive a tax bill does not invalidate the tax or the proceedings for collection.

Sign and date your check. Unsigned checks will be returned.
DO NOT DATE THE CHECK AHEAD.
Checks will not be held by the Collector for later deposit.  
A post-dated check that is processed and not honored by the bank will result in penalties and fees and charges imposed by both the bank and the Town.  
If using electronic bill payment through a bank, please include the bill year, type and number to ensure accurate processing. 


Bounce checks are not re-deposited. 
A fee a $35.00 and any accrued late charges will be added to the tax bill for all checks not honored by your bank.


If there are outstanding taxes owed for a previous year, you will need to indicate if you want a payment to be applied to previous years taxes first.  With out instructions a payment will be applied to the current years taxes.

RECEIPTS:

To request a receipt, you must include your entire bill and a stamped self-addressed envelope with your payment.  If you are a new home owner, please understand that Massachusetts law requires that the tax bill be sent to the record owner as of the previous January 1. You should retrieve a copy of your tax bill at Town Hall to avoid late payment penalties.

LATE PAYMENTS:

Interest at an annual rate of 14% per annum is assessed on all payments received after the due dates. Interest on Real Estate and Personal Property taxes is charged from the due date until the tax is paid. Any balance still remaining after May 1st will result in the issuance of a demand bill and an additional $20.00 fee.  

If taxes are not paid current in Holland you can be denied a permit from the various Boards within the Town until such time as your taxes are brought current.

Continued failure to remit the balance will result in the securing of the lien on the property through a tax taking process. Public notice of this process will be posted two weeks in advance in a local newspaper and in two public places. An Instrument of Taking will then be recorded at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. Once the lien is filed the Tax Taking is then transferred to the Holland Treasurer.  

ABATEMENTS & EXEMPTIONS:

You have 30 days from the issue date of the first Actual bill (typically the 3rd quarter bill) Real Estate and/or Personal Property tax bill to file with the Board of Assessors. All abatements and exemptions are handled by the Board of Assessor’s. To download an abatement application click here. Please refer to the Assessor’s information on abatements and exemptions to determine is you are eligible.

The annual taxes for the year cannot be divided in 4 equal payments due to the following:

Please keep in mind the following regarding Tax bills.  The 1st and 2nd tax payments are estimated based on the prior years taxes.  The 3rd and 4th quarter tax bills are based on the actual tax after the tax rate is set in December.  Also the Town of Holland runs on the fiscal year from July 1 to June 30.  The tax rate is set for the calender year January 1 to December 31.