The Assessor’s Office provides the Town with fiscal stability by ensuring that the Town’s personal and real property is promptly, fairly and equitably valued and classified. The Assessor’s determine the fair market value of all property for the purposes of taxation.
“As always, the Board of Assessors feel it is important for all taxpayers to remember that the Board does not make the laws that affect property owners. The Massachusetts Legislature enacts tax laws. Various guidelines and regulations to implement the legislation are established by the Department of Revenue. The Board of Assessors, in short, follow the procedures established by others to set the value of property. Value is actually set by buyers and sellers as they establish the worth of comparable properties through their transactions in the real estate marketplace. The Assessors also do not determine taxes. The municipality itself determines property taxation, through its Town Meeting. Similarly, the Assessors do not decide who is entitled to relief on their property tax bills through exemptions; rather they follow the Massachusetts General Laws.”
Responsibilities
- Taxing real estate, motor vehicles, and boats.
- Preparing annual recapitulation (recap), which compiles tax and financial data for the purpose of setting the tax rate for each fiscal year.
- Processing applications for abatements, for those homeowners who believe that their property was over-valued for tax purposes.
- Administering the statutory exemption program for eligible taxpayers, including the elderly, blind, widows, and veterans.
Services
Real Estate Record Cards: Real Estate record cards are available online. Please refer to “Online Property Data” on our home page.
Reports: These reports are available for reference online. Please refer to the “Property Assessments and Reports” on our home page.
Volunteer Opportunities: Opportunities for duties such as filing, phone coverage and light clerical work are available to senior citizens through the Senior Work-off Program. For more information on the Senior Work-off Program, please contact the Council on Aging at (781) 631-6225.
Tax Exemptions
Property Tax Relief Programs for Seniors and Others
The Town of Marblehead has adopted the following exemptions for qualifying seniors, veterans, blind individuals, surviving spouses or minor child of police officer or firefighter and individuals who are qualified under extreme hardship.
Please contact the Assessor’s office so that we may discuss which exemption you may be eligible for based on your individual circumstances and the specific exemption qualification criteria.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Building Commissioner is responsible for determining the legal use of your property and whether or not it conforms to the zoning By-Laws.
The Assessor’s do not determine the value placed on motor vehicles or boats for the purpose of arriving at the amount of the excise tax. Please refer to Property Assessments for additional information.
No, the Assessor’s do not collect tax payments. The Treasurer’s office collects all taxes and interest due.
“Real Estate” is the physical land and all that is affixed to the land. The tax on real estate is an Ad Valorem (based on value) tax. The proceeds from real estate taxes fund the operation of the Town. Approximately 76% of the Town’s budget (including schools) is funded through real estate taxes.
In order to dispute an assess value/tax bill, the taxpayer must complete an abatement application and submit it to the Assessor’s office. Please refer to the Dispute Property Assessed Value/Tax Bill for an outline of the process and requirements.
“Proposition 2 1/2″ is the title given to an initiative petition adopted by Massachusetts voters in 1980. The main features of Proposition 2 1/2 are related to the total amount of property taxes that a city or town can raise each year.