Frequently Asked Questions

Property tax is an assessment on the ownership of real and personal property. An owner’s property tax is based on the assessment, which is the full and fair cash value of the property.
Each year, local assessors in Massachusetts have a constitutional and statutory duty to assess all property at its full and fair cash value under Massachusetts General Law. As of each January 1st, local assessors must classify all real property.  Randolph has two classes of tax, residential and commercial.

Personal property generally includes tangible items that are not firmly attached to land or buildings and are not considered to be part of the real estate, for example, merchandise, furniture, machinery, tools, animals and equipment.

Community Preservation Act (CPA). In addition to your real estate tax, the Town has approved a surcharge of 2% to be added to the bill. CPA funds are used to support and preserve open space, historic resources, community housing, and utilize land for recreational use.   

Failure to receive your property tax bill does not excuse you from payment of taxes, or from the interest and fees that accrue on the outstanding balance(s). A tax bill is generated and mailed for every parcel in the Town. It is the responsibility of the property owner to pay taxes regardless of receipt of a bill. Contact the Treasurer/Collector office to have a duplicate bill mailed to you.

You can access copies of your current bills here or by contacting the Treasurer/Collector’s office.

The tax rate is the amount a taxpayer owes for each one thousand dollars of property value in a given year.  This rate is set by Town Council and appears on your third quarter tax bill. The Tax Rate for FY2025 is $11.61 for Residential and $22.15 for Commercial.

A tax bill is generated for every parcel in the Town and is sent to the home owner.  Mortgage companies and tax servicers receive an electronic file from the Town.  We do not bill mortgage companies.  

Contact the Assessor’s office.

If your check bounces, you will be responsible for a $25.00 fee in addition to the amount of the check that is returned, plus any accrued interest/fees.

Reach out to your mortgage company. Credit balances are generally not refunded until the end of the fiscal year because all bills have not yet been issued or paid. A double payment or overpayment will be credited towards the next quarter tax due. If there is an overpayment on the May installment (4th quarter), or a credit balance exists after the May 1 tax installment is paid, a refund will be issued to the homeowner.  Credits do not automatically move forward from one Fiscal Year to another.

Taxes have not been paid. If you received a Demand notice, you should not ignore this bill. The Demand fee is $25.00 and cannot be waived.

If you received a bill and there is a statement of Prior Years Tax Outstanding, this means there are taxes past due on the property from a prior year, or that there is a Tax Title lien on the property. Contact our office for an exact pay-off amount as interest continues to accrue daily. Please mail these payments directly to Town Hall. The PO box on the remit (our bank’s lockbox service) is for current bills only. Lockbox only processes current bills with a remit slip/collector’s portion of bill.

An abatement is a reduction in the amount of a committed tax. A taxpayer may apply for abatement for the following reasons:

• Overvaluation 
• Disproportionate assessment 
• Misclassification of real property 
• Statutory exemption

Contact the Assessor’s office for more information, 781-961-0906.

An exemption is a release or discharge from the obligation to pay all or a portion of a local property tax. These exemptions can help reduce your tax burden and provide financial relief.

• Senior Citizens for those age 70+
• Veterans and Surviving Spouses 
• Blind or Disabled for those individuals with specific disabilities
• Community Preservation Act (CPA) for those age 60 or older
• As well as real estate tax deferrals for Qualifying Persons.

When Real Estate taxes are not paid on time and in full, a lien is placed on the property by operation of law.  An Instrument of Taking is filed with the Registry of Deeds. Once the lien amount is paid in full, a Certificate of Redemption is filed, clearing the lien. See MGL Chapter 60 for more information.  

The outstanding lien amount must be paid in full, including all interest and fees. Once paid, the Treasurer/Collector’s office will file the Redemption with the Registry of Deeds.

Unpaid utility bills for the prior fiscal year are moved to the current year tax bill in mid-December.  The delinquent amount, plus additional interest and fees will be liened on your third quarter Real Estate Tax bill.