Assessor

The Assessor’s Office is responsible for administering Massachusetts property tax laws effectively and equitably and for producing accurate and fair assessments of all taxable property. Taxable property includes not only real estate but personal property, motor vehicle and boat excise as well. Another function of the office is to send exemption and deferral forms to property owners who have received an exemption/deferral during the previous year. The most common exemptions are elderly, blind and qualifying veterans.

The Chief Assessor and staff are available to answer your questions during regular office hours and will be happy to provide assistance in filling out forms.

You'll find meeting notices, agendas and meeting minutes on the Board of Assessor's page.

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UNDERSTANDING THE QUARTERLY TAX BILLS AND HOW THEY WORK
 

The City budget runs on a fiscal year basis, July 1 to June 30. Property owners receive two tax bills within the year, a PRELIMINARY tax bill and an ACTUAL tax bill. Each bill includes two quarterly payments. The PRELIMINARY tax bill includes quarterly payments due on August 1 and November 1, your first and second quarter payments. The ACTUAL tax bill includes quarterly payments due on February 1 and May 1, quarters three and four.

The PRELIMINARY tax bill is also referred to as an estimated tax bill. The bill is based on the previous (calendar) year assessment of your property and the previous year’s tax rate.

The City budget is set for July 1st (that’s what your bills pay for), and the current calendar year property values are certified by the state in the fall, followed by a new tax rate set by the end of the year.

Then, the ACTUAL tax bill can be issued for the remaining balance of what is owed.

Here’s an example:
In FY23 your preliminary tax bill was for $3,974.95 (or $1987.47 and $1987.48 for each quarter). This was based on a 2021 calendar year value of $449,400 and a tax rate of $17.69 to generate a bill for just half the year.

                449,400 / 1,000 = 449.4 x 17.69 = 7,949.88 / 2 = 3,974.95 / 2 = 1987.47

Once the budget, property values, and rates were set it was determined that your property value was now $498,100 and the tax rate is now $16.34. You should pay a total for the year of $8,138.95.

                498,100 / 1,000 = 498.1 x 16.34 = 8,138.95

 You’ve already paid $3,974.95. So, you owe $4,164.

 Your ACTUAL tax bill will be for a total of $4,164 with two quarterly amounts due of $2,082.

 In this scenario your bill for the year has increased $189.06 from last year to this year. 

  1. How does the Assessor’s Office determine the value of my house?

Massachusetts law requires that all municipalities establish the full and fair cash value of all real estate as of January 1st of the prior year.  It is the responsibility of the Assessor's Office to establish the taxable valuation of each individual piece of property in the City. However, the Assessors do not create value. Buyers and sellers create the value via their transactions in the marketplace.

  1. Why can the City raise my taxes by more than the 2½% limit prescribed by Proposition 2½?
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  1. The City of Amesbury, Massachusetts has contracted with Vision Government Solutions Inc. to assist with state-mandated annual revaluation and to host this portion of our website. The information provided in this database is the basis of the fiscal 2021 valuation for each Amesbury property.

    Link to page

  2. Access forms and information for exemption options for tax relief for property owners.

    Link to page

  3. Property Fraud Watch

    Link to page
  4. Link to page

    2023 Real Estate Values

Download list

Downloadable Assessment Database Files

  1. Warren Amesbury CDU (TXT)
  2. Warren Amesbury Com (TXT)
  3. Warren Amesbury Res (TXT)

Fiscal Year Values by Address

  1. 2022 Values by Street Address (PDF)
  2. 2021 Values by Street Address (PDF)
  3. 2020 Values by Street Address (PDF)

Assessing Maps

  1. FY21 Amesbury Assessor Map 1-37 (PDF)
  2. FY21 Amesbury Assessor Map 38-74 (PDF)
  3. FY21 Amesbury Assessor Map 75-111 (PDF)

AMESBURY MAPPING (GIS)

  1. LINK TO MIMAP
  2. MIMAP TUTORIAL

Below is a link to the GIS Mapping Site provided by the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission

https://mimap.mvpc.org/map/index.html?viewer=amesbury