Welcome!

Our office is committed to serving our customers. We extend professional and courteous customer service to the members of our community. We will answer all inquiries to the best of our ability and provide up to date information.

All transactions are posted, recorded and deposited daily. Along with the collection of taxes, our office handles the issuance of municipal lien certificates and parking ticket payments and hearing requests.

The Collector of Taxes is responsible for the collecting of the city's real estate, personal property, and motor vehicle excise taxes. All necessary steps required by Massachusetts General Law will be taken to collect on all past due accounts.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The tax rate for FY 2018 has not been set yet. This means that 3rd quarter bills have not been generated, so taxpayers did not receive a bill payable 2/1/18. We anticipate the tax rate being set by March, which means that both the 3^rd and 4^th quarter bills will be combined and mailed out by 4/1/18 with a due date of 5/1/18. If you would like to send in prepayment of the anticipated 3rd and 4th quarter bills, you are welcome to do so by coming to the Tax Collector’s office or mailing payment in to the Tax Collector at 536 Dwight Street Rm 13, Holyoke, MA 01040. We will apply any payments as a credit that will then be applied to the actual bills once they get generated. Any overpayment will be refunded back to you at the end of the fiscal year, and any under payments will be billed to you when the actual bills go out. Feel free to call the Assessor’s office 413-322-5550 or the Tax Collector’s office 413-322-5530 if you have any further questions.

To pay bills over the phone please call 508-381-5455

Credit Card Fee Schedule (includes online payment)

Visa/Mastercard/American Express/Discover Credit Cards

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Holyoke Property and Vehicle Owners You may now manage and access your City of Holyoke tax accounts online at your convenience. It’s easy, safe, and secure!

• View and print your bill at anytime
• Avoid late payments by enrolling in Auto-Pay -Go Paperless!
• Sign up to receive your tax bills via email -Receive an email confirmation of payment

Payments Accepted

Electronic checks using a checking or savings account or the following card types are accepted for payment: Master Card, Visa, American Express, and Discover

Convenience Fees

Online payments will incur a convenience fee. City of Holyoke receives only your bill payment amount. Convenience fees cover various administrative costs associated with accepting payments and are non-refundable. The convenience fee when using a Credit Card is a percentage rate fee of up to 2.95% with a minimum charge of $1.00 -The convenience fee when using an E-Check is FREE (You can pay multiple bills in one transaction). The convenience fee amount is automatically calculated and is shown on the payment page before you submit your payment for processing. Convenience fees will appear as a separate charge from the bill amount on your credit card or bank statement. 

If you want to pay over the phone, need help using online bill pay, or have a question about your online account please call 508-381-5455.

Bank Withdrawal

You may sign up to have your real estate taxes directly withdrawn from your bank account every quarter when the bills are due. Fill out this form and return it to our office with a cancelled check. We will immediately begin pulling your quarterly bill amount from your bank account on the bill due dates. You can contact us to stop this process at any time you want.

Finding it difficult to get to the Tax Collector’s office during regular business hours?

Customers can now pay bills without mailing or waiting in lines in our office by dropping payments in our two new conveniently located drop boxes.

Please do not put cash into the boxes. Only checks or money orders along with a bill stub will be accepted.

Payments will be picked up from the boxes at 8:00am every day. Any payments in the box at 8:00am that day will be processed as if paid the previous day. So that means if you have a bill due on 11/1 you have until 8am on 11/2 to drop your payment in the box and it will still get processed as if paid on time. The outside drop box at City Hall is accessible 24/7 to make payments more convenient for customers who prefer to hand delivery their payments but often can’t get to City Hall during regular business hours.

LOCATIONS:

You can drop them in the appropriate box inside the Council on Aging or at our main box right outside the back door of City Hall (accessible from parking deck).

All information for Real Estate and Personal Property originates from the Board of Assessors and it is the Assessor’s office that commits to the Collector of Taxes to collect those monies for the City of Holyoke. It is the responsibility of the property owner to make sure their taxes are paid timely.

• Refunds are processed at the end of the Fiscal Year.
• Preliminary bills include the first and second quarters of the tax year and are based on approximately 50% of the previous tax year’s total tax.
• Actual tax bills include the third and fourth quarters of the tax year and are based on assessed value once the tax rate is set.
• Any outstanding balance left on tax after 30 days from the 4th Q due date will be subject to interest and a $15.00 demand fee.  

Fiscal 2018 Tax Rate (per $1000)

Residential……………………$19.13

Commercial…………………..$39.69

Payment Schedule

Current Fiscal Year is 2018

(July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018)

1st Q: July-September, Due 08/01/2017

2nd Q: October-December, Due 11/01/2017

3rd Q: January-March, Due 5/1/2018

4th Q: April-June, Due 05/01/2018

Properties in Tax Title

When a real estate tax is uncollected by the Tax Collector, an Instrument of Taking is recorded at the Registry of Deeds. That instrument effectively places a lien on the property on which the tax is unpaid and the amount of the tax is certified to the Treasurer by the Tax Collector and becomes a Tax Title account.  It then becomes the responsibility of the Treasurer to collect payment of the delinquent tax or foreclose on the property.  If the tax is not paid within six months a Petition to Foreclose is filed in Land Court. A list of property owners (owner of record as of January 1 and subsequent owner), parcel identification, and amount of the unpaid taxes is submitted to the newspaper. Advertisement fees are applied to the delinquent tax amount, which also needs to be paid by the owner.

Excise bills that are in Warrant and Non-Renewable status can be paid through our Deputy Collector’s website Kelley & Ryan Associates, Inc

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Frequently Asked Questions

What is Excise and Who Gets it?

Excise tax on motor vehicles is an annual tax for the privilege of registration. Every motor vehicle and trailer registered in Massachusetts is subject to excise tax unless expressly exempted. Registering a motor vehicle automatically triggers an excise tax. The city or town where the vehicle is principally garaged levies the excise annually. The Registry of Motor Vehicles prepares data for excise bills according to the information on the motor vehicle registration and sends it to the City or Town. Cities and Towns then prepare bills based on the excise data provided by the Registry of Motor vehicles. Anyone with Massachusetts plates registered in their name gets a bill every year for as long as the plates are active in the RMV’s system.

How Much is it ?

The excise tax rate is $25.00 per thousand. This is the standard for the entire Commonwealth. The valuation is based on the rates set by the state and are assessed according to manufacturer’s list price. This taxable value is adjusted each year according to the following schedule:

• Year prior to model year:  50% of manufacturer’s list price
• Model year:  90%
• Second year:  60%
• Third year:  40%
• Fourth year:  25%
• Fifth year and each year thereafter:  10%

When Are They Due?

Payments are due 30 days from the issue date. A person who does not receive a bill is still liable for the excise tax. Therefore, it is important to keep the Registry of Motor Vehicles and the Post Office informed of current name and address so that the excise tax bill can be delivered promptly.

What Are the Late Fees?

If an excise is not paid within 30 days from the date of issue a demand bill is sent. The charge for a demand bill is $15.00. Interest accrues on the overdue bill from the day after the due date until payment is received. The interest rate on excise is 12%. If the demand bill is not paid within 14 days, the collector may issue a warrant to the deputy tax collector. The deputy tax collector sends the warrant notice to the taxpayer with an additional fee of $22.00. If payment is still not received, the deputy will deliver a service warrant with an additional fee of $17.00. All bills will clearly state the interest and penalty charges.

What Happens if They Are Not Paid?

If the service warrant demanding final payment is not paid, the deputy collector may then notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles of such non-payment. The Registry will then mark the individual’s registration preventing the renewal of the motor vehicle registration and the owner’s driver’s license. The taxpayer will then be assessed a $20.00 mark fee in addition to all other penalties and interest. It is the policy of the City of Holyoke to NOT release any marked bill until ALL OUTSTANDING delinquent excise tax bills for a taxpayer are PAID IN FULL. Once full payment is made, the City will call to electronically clear the mark. This will enable the motorist to return to the Registry and renew his/her license or registration.

What if I Don’t Have the Car Anymore?

If you receive an excise tax for a vehicle you no longer own, you may qualify for an abatement, or adjustment, on the bill, but you must provide proof that you no longer own the car AND proof of the registration cancellation or transfer. Any required documentation must be presented to the Assessor’s office to receive an abatement.

 You know sometimes the little things can really ruin your day. Like spilling coffee down your shirt, or getting a Parking Ticket…

So what can I do?

1. Pay the ticket

   Parking tickets can be paid in our office or through the mail. A $5.00 surcharge is automatically applied to an outstanding ticket after 21 days. If it remains unpaid, a $15.00 notice fee will be applied and it will eventually lead to a $20.00 marking fee from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, which will prevent license and registration renewals. Pay tickets online at Kelley & Ryan Associates, Inc. Note: Parking tickets are entered with an “H” in front of the ticket number. For example if the number on your ticket is 201513, you must enter the ticket number as H201513 in order to search and pay for it online.

    

2. Or…have a chance to have your say.

   Parking tickets may be appealed by filling out a Parking Appeal Form. Hearings are held once a month. If you fail to appear for your scheduled hearing, you forfeit your right to appeal and must pay the original fine. You can choose to have your appeal read by the hearings officer if you cannot come in for the scheduled hearing, and you will be notified of the hearings officer’s decision by phone or mail.

**The Hearings officer’s decision on appeals is final**

A Municipal Lien Certificate is a legal document issued by the tax collector and states the amount of property taxes that are assessed against a particular piece of property. This also includes any water charges owed on the property.  Whenever someone buys property or refinances, a Municipal Lien Certificate is routinely recorded along with the new deed or mortgage.  By recording a Municipal Lien Certificate, the property owner’s liability for unpaid taxes is limited to those listed on the certificate.  If the town discovers afterwards that more taxes are owed, the new property owner is not liable for them.  

These documents are usually requested by law offices in preparation of a refinance or sale of a property. Each request should include a property description, parcel number and a self addressed, stamped envelope.

The fees are as follows:

1-3 family residential parcel – $50
4 or more family residential parcel – $100
Commercial parcel- $125
Mix use parcel- $125

Request for service in fewer than 7-10 business days will require the
payment of a Rush Fee of $25 per certificate