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Real Estate and Personal Property account information may be changed through the Assessor's Office. Please click here for an address change form. Return the completed form to the Assessor's Office at P.O. Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575-0278 or email assessors
Motor Vehicle Excise tax mailing addresses must be changed with the Registry of Motor Vehicles, visit the Mass.gov website, and not with the Town.
NOTE: It is important to remember that the bill for a vehicle you no longer own should not be ignored.
For further inquiries regarding abatement or assessments, contact the Assessor's Office directly at 508-696-0101 or click here to access their office on our website.
Whenever you move your location within Massachusetts, you are responsible for changing the garaging location of your vehicle with the Registry of Motor Vehicles. You will be billed by the community that is shown as the garaging address on your RMV-1 application. Contact the RMV in person or on their website to make the appropriate changes to your registration information, and visit the Mass.gov website
To qualify for abatement on your bill, two things must have happened.
- The vehicle must have been traded, transferred, or junked. You must no longer own the vehicle. A copy of the bill of sale or receipt must accompany your application.
- The registration plate must have been canceled with the RMV or transferred to another vehicle. A copy of the return plate receipt OR new registration must accompany your application.
If an owner of a motor vehicle thinks that he/she is entitled to an adjustment of his/her excise bill, it is strongly recommended that he/she pay the bill in full. There is an abatement application printed on the back of your bill, OR you can contact the Assessor's Office for an application for abatement. Follow the directions on the form and return it to the Town of West Tisbury Assessor's Office, P.O. Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575.
Please take note that if an excise tax bill goes unpaid, an owner risks incurring late fees and penalties if an abatement is not granted before the Excise Bill due date. If your application is approved, you will receive a refund of the tax abated only.
- 50% of the manufacturer's list price in the year preceding the designated year of manufacture*
- 90% of manufacturer's list price (1st year)
- 60% of manufacturer's list price (2nd year)
- 40% of the manufacturer's list price (3rd year)
- 25% of manufacturer's list price (4th year)
- 10% of manufacturer's list price (5th year)
It is an annual tax for the privilege of registration. Anyone who registers a vehicle with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will be billed based on the information supplied to the Registry of Motor Vehicles on the registrant's application. M.G.L. Chapter 60A imposes an excise on the privilege of registering a motor vehicle or a trailer within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The excise is levied by the town where the vehicle is principally garaged and the revenues become part of the local community treasury. The Registry of Motor Vehicles prepares data for excise bills according to the information on the Motor Vehicle Registration and sends it to the Town Assessors. The town then prepares bills based on excise data sent by the Registry in regulation with Registry requirements.
Contact the Registry of Motor Vehicles to make corrections to your garaging location or mailing address.
Under state law, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred due to late payment(s). It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to contact the Treasurer/Collector and obtain the tax amount due when a tax bill is not received. You may request a duplicate tax bill via email or by calling the Treasurer/Collector's Office at 508-696-0104. However, the request must be received early enough to allow sufficient time to avoid late charges.
New owners will be automatically updated by the Assessor's Office upon receipt of a copy of the recorded deed from the Registry of Deeds. If the sale is very close to a tax due date, you may call the Collector's Office at 508-696-0104 or email for a copy of the bill. You may also update the mailing address on the tax bill by completing the Address Change Form and returning it to the Assessor's Office at P.O. Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575, or email assessors
- 1st Quarter: August 1st
- 2nd Quarter: November 1st
- 3rd Quarter: February 1st
- 4th Quarter: May 1st
Personal Property taxes are due annually on May 1st
Motor Vehicle Excise taxes are due 30 Days from the Date of Issue
When the date on which taxes are due falls on a weekend or holiday, the taxes will be due on the next regular business day.
Mail your payment and remittance slip to: Town of West Tisbury, P.O. Box 4110, Department 280, Woburn, MA 01888. Please make checks payable to the Town of West Tisbury. If you do not enclose a remittance slip, please write the parcel ID (Map, Block, Lot) or Bill Number on the check. Do not send any correspondence to this address. Send correspondence and inquiries directly to the Treasurer/Collector, Town of West Tisbury, P.O. Box 278, West Tisbury, MA 02575. You may also pay your bill online at the City Hall Systems Website and ensure credit to the correct tax bill on the date you choose. Payment with a credit card costs 3% extra, but an ACH/electronic check just costs 50 cents - the same as a stamp.
CPA = Community Preservation Act
Surcharge The money collected from this tax is turned over to the Community Preservation Committee and is used for open land acquisition, historic preservation and affordable housing. The tax is calculated at 3% of the current fiscal year assessment, less the first $100,000 of valuation, multiplied by the tax rate. Property assessed for less than $100,000 does not pay the CPA Surcharge.
No. If your real estate taxes are escrowed by a bank or mortgage company, you will want to ensure that they make timely payments, but please note that they do not pay the Personal Property Tax.
You may receive a Personal Property Bill for two reasons: 1) you operate a business in West Tisbury, and 2) West Tisbury is NOT your primary residence.
Each business or second domicile owner is required to file annually, by March 1st, either a state tax form 2 Form of List or state tax form 2HF. Failure to file may affect the ability to challenge the assessment for an abatement or appeal.
If you are receiving a personal property bill and this is your primary residence that does not include a rental unit or business on the property, please click here to access the Assessor's Office for more information regarding abatements or by phone at 508-696-0101. Abatement applications must be filed by February 1st.
Personal property generally includes tangible items that are not firmly attached to land or buildings and are not specifically designed for or of such size and bulk to be considered part of the real estate. This includes merchandise, furnishings and effects, machinery, tools, animals, and equipment. Such personal property will be taxable unless a specific exemption provision applies.
Personal Property valued below $10,000 (total per property) was exempted from taxable status at the 2017 Annual Town Meeting (Article Number 36).
Under Massachusetts General Law, if you are the owner of a property as of January 1 of the current calendar year, you will be assessed personal property tax for the full year. For example, if you owned your property in January of 2019, you would be liable for your personal property bill until July of 2020. If you would like to apply for an abatement, click here for available forms or contact the Assessor's Office directly at 508-696-0101. Abatement applications must be filed by February 1st.