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Treasurer & Collector

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1. When is a real estate property tax bill due?

30 calendar days after issuance of a bill.

2. How often are property tax bills mailed?

All real estate property tax bills are issued on a quarterly basis on the following dates:

July 1 (preliminary)
October 1 (preliminary)
January 1 (actual)
April 1 (actual)

3. What months are covered for each quarterly tax bill?

August 1st bill: July 1-September 30 (preliminary bill)
November 1st bill: October 1-December 31 (preliminary bill)
February 1st bill: January 1-March 31 (Actual bill)
May 1st: April 1-June 30 (Actual bill)

4. What if I do not receive a tax bill?

Failure to receive your tax bill does not excuse you from payment of taxes, or from the interest and fees that accrue on the outstanding balance(s). A tax bill is generated and mailed for every parcel in the City. It is the responsibility of the property owner to pay taxes regardless of receipt of a bill. Contact the Treasury Department to have a duplicate bill mailed to you. By operation of law, the tax bill is mailed to the record owner as of January 1 of the previous fiscal year. New property owners can have their name added to the bill (shows as “c/o” on the bill) by contacting the Assessing Department @ 781-897-5830.

5. Can I pay my tax bills on-line?

Yes. Follow the “Online Bill Pay” link on the City main page. We currenty accept payment of real estate property tax, personal property tax, excise and water/sewer taxes. Payment can be made either by credit card or an ACH check transfer. A processing fee will be assessed for all credit card payments. All ACH transfers are free of charge.

6. If I pay my property tax bill late, will I be charged any interest penalties?

Yes, interest is assessed at a rate of 14% per annum from the due date of the bill.

7. How do I update my billing address?

In order to update your address for your real estate or personal property tax bill, please contact the Assessor's office at 781-897-5830.

To update a water bill address, please contact the Department of Public Works at 781-932-4411.

8. I am retired and on a fixed income. I am having a difficult time paying my Real Estate Taxes. What can the City do to help me?

You may eligible for an abatement, such as a widow/widowers, elderly or disabled veteran’s abatement. There is also a law that lets you defer your taxes at an 4% interest rate. The Assessor’s Office can help you with any of these programs.

9. Does the Treasurer’s Office have homes and/or land for sale?

No. Any sales of property or tax title possessions must be done in accordance with certain provisions set forth in M.G.L. Chapter 60

10. If I did not physically receive an excise bill from the City, am I still responsible for late charges?

According to Chapter 60A Section 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws, “failure to receive notice shall not affect the validity of the excise”. A person who does not receive a bill is still liable for the excise plus any charges. Therefore it is important to keep the Registry (www.state.ma.us/rmv), Assessor’s Office and the post office informed of a current name and address so that excise bills can be delivered promptly. All owners of motor vehicles must pay excise tax; therefore it is the responsibility of the owner to contact the local assessor if he/she has not received a bill. The largest mailing of excise bills generally happens in February each year.

11. I have received an excise bill on my new car, but I have already paid the excise on my old car. What should I do?

Pay the bill. Your old bill is eligible to be abated through the Assessor’s Office (781-897-5830) from which you will receive a refund from the Collector. Follow abatement instructions on the back of the bill. The Registry prorates your excise on a monthly basis. The annual excise due on a car registered after January 1 will be reduced, therefore, by one twelfth of the full years excise for every month prior to the one in which the vehicle was registered. Conversely, you will be due a refund of one twelfth the excise you paid on you old car by the number of months it was not registered to you, in most cases.

12. In what cases is a Treasurer/Collector Certification form required?

All permits (ie. building, electrical, plumbing, common victualer license etc.) applied for with the City of Woburn must have a f tax payment history review performed by the Treasurer/Collector's office. The Treasurer/Collector form must be completed in entirety and signed by the applicant (property owner or tenant ONLY) including the parcel ID and ALL other parcel ID’s that the property owner and tenant, if any, have any beneficial interest in within the City of Woburn. Any incomplete forms may be delayed in processing.

Parcel I.D. (map, block, lot) may be found in records located in Assessors, Inspectional Sevices, and Collectors departments. This information is also listed on tax bills or online at: http://data.visionappraisal.com/WoburnMA

It is the responsibility of the applicant to retrieve this information.

13. I am a vendor for the city looking for a payment, how do I track down my check?

All invoices submitted to the City must follow the following process: The department paying the invoice must submit a voucher to the City Auditor; the Auditor then confirms that funds are available and submits vouchers to the City Council Accounts and Audits Committee; When vouchers are approved by the committee, the Auditor submits a warrant to pay the bills to the Treasurer and Mayor; the Treasurer then prints checks but will not release them until the Mayor signs the warrant. You should track the invoice through the department you submitted it to in the first place.

14. I am not the listed property owner, may I get verbal confirmation on property tax payment status?

Generally, you may not. Due to the large volume of requests for property tax information, the City of Woburn requires you to order an Municipal Lien Certifiate (MLC).

15. How much do you charge for Municipal Lien Certificates?

The cost is $25.00 for residential property and $100.00 for commercial property.

16. How long does it take to get a municipal lien certificate (MLC)?

The average turnaround time for a municipal lien request is 48 hours from the time of request receipt and payment. However during periods
of heavy volume it could be slightly longer.

17. How current is the MLC data?

The Collector’s office post receipts daily and municipal lien certificates are calculated to the day they are printed.

18. What if my closing date is postponed?

The municipal lien certificate includes per diem data for all outstanding amounts.