Property Taxes On Housing You Own (with a bank, of course) & Live In

[unhappycamper]

I've been getting my property tax statements from the City of Boston since I bought a condo in 1988. The statement I received in January had a sheet titled "Property Tax Information". Normally I just glance at it and toss it in my recycling bin. For some reason I actually read the damn thing.

There is a section on the sheet titled "Residential & Personal Exemptions May Lower Your Tax Bill". I read it and was interested enough to flip the sheet over and read the smaller print. I found a numbah to call: 617-635-4287.

A very nice lady answered and I explained I would like to see if I qualified for a Residential or Personal Exemption on my condo. We chatted for about two minutes and she was amazed that I have lived in this condo since 1988 and have never applied for an exemption. She said she would send me a form (very easy to complete). The form arrived in four or five days; I filled it out and sent it back.

Yesterday I received an:

Abatement Certificate

and

a refund check from the City of Boston for $484.32


FAQ from the City of Boston:

https://www.cityofboston.gov/assessing/FAQ.asp

Residential Exemption

Since 1983, the City of Boston has offered a residential exemption to homeowners that occupy their property as the principal residence.

Taxpayers who own and occupy their home can save on their tax bill by having a portion of their tax bill exempted from taxation. To qualify for the residential exemption, homeowners must own and occupy their home on January 1 preceding the start of the fiscal year.

The value of the exemption is subtracted from the total full valuation. The fiscal year residential exemption is 30% of the average value of all residential property in the City.

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Bottom line? Sometime it pays to read the tax stuff we get in this state. Dunno if this applies to the rest of MA.

Wicked awesome, eh?