The City of Boston Assessing Department this week announced the public disclosure period to allow taxpayers the opportunity to review their preliminary residential and commercial properties assessments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016. The Assessing Department is in the final stages of completing a revaluation of all residential and commercial properties, as required by state law every three years. Preliminary assessment notices will be mailed the week of November 16. The following public disclosure period allows taxpayers the opportunity to review their preliminary assessment with an assessor prior to the state Department of Revenue’s final certification:
Monday November 16 – Friday November 20
8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Boston City Hall, Room 301
Monday November 23 – Tuesday November 24
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Boston City Hall, Room 301
On these dates, property owners will have the opportunity to review their FY 2016 preliminary assessments by:
- Visiting the Assessing Department at Boston City Hall, Room 301;
- Calling the Taxpayer Referral and Assistance Center between 9AM and 5PM at (617) 635-4287; or
- Visiting the Assessing Department on the web at www.cityofboston.gov/assessing
While preliminary assessments are included in the disclosure notices that will be mailed to taxpayers the week of November 16, the assessments are also available online at www.cityofboston.gov/assessing. By following the revaluation links, taxpayers may submit an online contact form with questions about their FY 2016 assessment directly to the Assessing Department.
After certification of the new values by the state Department of Revenue, the new assessed values will be indicated on the FY 2016 Third Quarter real estate tax bill to be issued by the Collector-Treasurer at the end of December. The FY 2016 assessments will be based on the value of the property as of January 1, 2015, and will reflect the market conditions in each property’s immediate area on or before that date. Market activity occurring after January 1, 2015, will be reflected in the FY 2017 assessment.
In FY 2016, assessments reflect a strong market for real estate, with most neighborhoods exhibiting signs of appreciation over the prior year. As a result, many homeowners will see an increase in their assessment. However, with Proposition 2½ limiting the annual growth of the City’s tax levy, assessments will cause a decline in the property tax rate that will mitigate, in part, tax bill increases.
