Tax Bills & Collections

The Treasurer/ Tax Collector's office is located on the first floor of the Homer Building, 19 Moore Street and is open Monday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Tuesday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. There is also a drop off mail box located outside 19 Moore Street. (at the foot of the stairs) where residents may drop off tax payments, electric light bill payments, water bill payments, or any other town payments. Payments left in the box will be credited the next business day.

Real Estate:

In July 2004 the Town of Belmont began collecting real estate and personal property taxes on a quarterly schedule.

The Town of Belmont currently bills on a quarterly schedule. Real estate and personal property tax bills for the fiscal Year (July to June) are mailed the middle to last week of June, September, December and March. Payments are due by 4 p.m. in the Tax Collector's office on August 1, November 1st, February 1st and May 1st or the following regular business day if the 1st falls on a weekend. Postmarks are not considered payment in a timely fashion per Mass. General Law. It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to ensure that tax bills arrive in the Treasurer/Collector's office on or before the due dates. 

After the 4th Qtr Real Estate bill is due May 1st, $15 demands are sent for all past due balances and are due in 14 days. Once a demand has been issued and remains unpaid the following steps are taken:  notification of lien letter, letter of intent to advertise in newspaper, then Newspaper advertisement, tax taking, and filing with registry of deeds. Interest accrues on tax title accounts at 16%.

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax:

There are between six and eight Motor Vehicle Excise tax bill mailings during the year. The largest mailing occurs in February and usually includes all vehicles that were registered in Belmont for over one year. These bills, although collected by the Town, are generated from the records of the Registry of Motor Vehicles as of January 1st of the bill year.

When you fail to pay a motor vehicle excise, a tax collector can collect the delinquent excise by placing ("marking") your vehicle registration and operating license in non-renewal status at the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). 

You must pay the excise within 30 days of receiving the bill. If you do not fully pay a motor vehicle excise on or before its due date, you also have to pay:

  • Interest (12% per year, from due date to payment date), and
  • Collection costs for:
    • Sending a demand for payment of the excise – Set locally, up to $15
    • Issuing a warrant to collect the excise to a deputy collector, assistant collector or other officer - $10
    • Sending a notice that a warrant to collect the excise has been issued to a deputy collector, assistant collector or other officer - $12
    • Serving the warrant to collect the excise - $17 (Final Warrant)
    • “Marking” the taxpayer’s vehicle registration and operator’s license for non-renewal at the RMV - $20

 If the total amount of interest and collection costs added to an overdue motor vehicle excise is $15 or less, a tax collector may (but is not required to) waive any or all accrued interest and costs. Once the total interest and costs owed is more than $15, however, the collector cannot waive any interest or costs for any reason. (https://www.mass.gov/guides/motor-vehicle-excise#-penalties-)