FY2027 Property Tax Abatement Deadlines by Town
Abatement deadlines for Cambridge, Boston, Somerville, Reading, Melrose and more, plus how to read the bill and how an abatement works.
Cambridge’s abatement window closes Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. Most other cities and towns north of Boston bill quarterly, and their deadline is the third-quarter due date: Monday, February 1, 2027. Miss yours and you generally lose the right to ask for a lower assessment this year.
Abatement deadlines by town, FY2027
| City or town | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge | Nov. 18, 2026, 5 p.m. | Cambridge abatement page |
| Boston | Feb. 1, 2027 | Boston Assessing |
| Somerville | Feb. 1, 2027, 4:30 p.m. | Somerville Assessing |
| Reading | Feb. 1, 2027 | Reading Assessors |
| Winchester | Feb. 1 (no applications accepted after) | Winchester Abatement & Appeal |
| Wakefield | Due date of the third-quarter bill, usually the first business day of February | Wakefield FAQ |
| Melrose | Third-quarter bill is due Feb. 1; abatement filing runs to the bill’s due date | Melrose Treasurer/Collector FAQ |
| Medford | Date is on your actual bill; assessors 781-393-2435 | Medford Assessor’s Office |
| Malden | Date is on your actual bill; assessors 781-397-7100 | Malden Assessors |
Where your bill prints a date, use it over any general rule. Stoneham and Woburn: check the assessor’s page or your bill.
The rest of this piece walks through the bill itself and how an abatement works.
First, what “FY2027” means
Massachusetts property taxes are assessed by fiscal year. Fiscal 2027 runs July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Boston’s calendar spells out the key point: taxes for FY2027 are based on property values as of January 1, 2026. So a bill you receive in the winter of 2026-27 reflects what your assessor decided the property was worth nearly a year earlier, and any addition or demolition after that January 1 won’t show until the next fiscal year.
The parts of a typical bill
Layouts differ by town, but most bills show the same elements. Look for these:
- Fiscal year and bill type. The first two installments are “preliminary” and the later two are “actual,” described below.
- Owner and parcel. The owner of record, and a parcel or map-and-lot number that identifies the property. Check the owner and parcel: errors here can affect exemptions and who gets billed.
- Assessed value. Usually split into land and building. This is the number an abatement challenges.
- Tax rate. Stated as dollars per $1,000 of value. Melrose’s assessor page, for example, lists FY2026 rates of $11.47 per $1,000 for residential property and $20.61 for commercial, industrial and personal property.
- Exemptions and abatements. Credits that reduce what you owe, such as a residential exemption or a senior or veteran exemption, where your town offers them.
- Installments and due dates. What you owe each quarter, with the date.
- Interest and late notices. What accrues if you pay late.
The math in one line
Tax equals assessed value divided by 1,000, times the tax rate. With Melrose’s FY2026 residential rate, a home assessed at $700,000 works out to 700 x $11.47 = $8,029 for the year. Cutting that assessment by $20,000 would cut the bill by 20 x $11.47 = $229.40.
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The FY2027 calendar
Many Massachusetts cities and towns bill quarterly. Boston’s FY2027 assessing calendar lays out the pattern:
| Date | What happens (Boston’s calendar) |
|---|---|
| July 1 | Fiscal year begins; first-quarter preliminary bill issued |
| Aug. 1 | First-quarter preliminary tax due |
| Oct. 1 | Second-quarter preliminary bill issued |
| Nov. 1 | Second-quarter tax due |
| Late December | Third-quarter actual bill issued, reflecting the actual value and tax rate for FY2027 |
| Jan. 1 | Assessment date for the next fiscal year; abatement filing period begins |
| Feb. 1 | Third-quarter tax due; abatement filing deadline |
| Apr. 1 | Residential exemption, personal exemption and tax deferral filing deadline (or three months after the third-quarter actual bills are mailed, if later) |
| May 1 | Fourth-quarter tax due |
Boston notes that if a due date falls on a weekend, the deadline moves to the next business day. February 1, 2027 is a Monday, so there is no shift this year.
The “preliminary” bills are estimates based on the previous year’s taxes. The “actual” bill comes after the rate is set, and it adjusts for the difference.
Melrose as a second example
Melrose’s Treasurer/Collector FAQ describes the same rhythm: taxes are due four times a year but mailed twice. The preliminary bills, due in August and November, go out together by the end of June. After the Assessor’s office sets the tax rate, the actual bill for the third quarter, due February 1, and the fourth, due May 1, is mailed by the end of December. Melrose’s Assessment Department is on the first floor of City Hall, 562 Main Street, 781-979-4104, open Monday through Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Not every town bills quarterly
Cambridge, for example, bills twice a year. Its page says an abatement application is due within 30 days of the mailing date on the actual tax bill. For FY2027 the due date is November 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. General state guidance, repeated on town pages, puts the deadline for semiannual towns at 30 days after the actual bill is mailed, and for quarterly towns at the third-quarter due date, usually February 1. Where your bill gives a date, trust it over any general rule.
When to file an abatement
An abatement is a request to the assessors to lower your assessment because it is higher than your property’s fair cash value as of January 1. The Boston Globe’s January 2026 explainer put the practical steps simply: file the state’s two-page Form 128, or your town’s own form, with your local assessor’s office by the deadline, by mail, email or in person, as your town allows.
- The deadline is strict. The Globe called it “strictly enforced,” and said in 2026 it fell on February 2 in most cities and towns because February 1 was a Sunday.
- You still pay. Cambridge says filing does not stop collection, and that in some cases you must pay all or part of the tax before you can file. The Globe’s advice is to keep paying quarterly bills on time and expect a refund if you win.
- Compare like with like. The Globe suggests comparing your assessment with similar nearby properties by lot size, living area and condition, using assessor maps and property cards online, and notes online estimates like Zillow’s often run higher than municipal figures.
- There is an appeal. If the assessors deny the request, you can appeal to the state’s Appellate Tax Board. Cambridge says you have three months from the date of the assessors’ decision.
Related: town meeting versus city council, Mass Save heat pump rebates and homeowner first snow prep.
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Sources
- City of Boston Assessing, how to file a real estate abatementboston.gov
- City of Somerville Assessingsomervillema.gov
- Town of Reading, Real and Personal Property Abatementsreadingma.gov
- Town of Winchester, Abatement & Appealwinchester.us
- Town of Wakefield, assessor FAQwakefieldma.gov
- City of Medford, Assessor's Officemedfordma.org
- City of Malden, Assessor's Departmentcityofmalden.org
- City of Boston Assessing, FY2027 assessing calendar (PDF)content.boston.gov
- City of Melrose, Assessorma-melrose.civicplus.com
- City of Melrose, Treasurer/Collector real estate tax FAQma-melrose.civicplus.com
- City of Cambridge, real estate property tax abatementcambridgema.gov
- Mass.gov, Real Estate Tax Appeals: A Helpful Guide for Taxpayers and Assessorsmass.gov
- Mass.gov, State Tax Form 128, application for abatementmass.gov
- The Boston Globe, Massachusetts property tax bills: what to know about abatements (Jan. 9, 2026)bostonglobe.com
Details such as dates, hours and prices come from the sources above and can change. Check with the organizer before you go.
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