Ask the Assessor: March
Questions:
“Why am I getting an auto excise tax bill for a car that I sold last year?”
“Why am I getting an auto excise tax bill for my car that was ‘totaled’ in an accident last year?”
“I moved away. Why I am getting an auto excise tax bill from Holliston?”
“I just bought a new car. When will I get an auto excise tax bill for it?”
Answers:
The first three questions are usually asked when people come to the Assessors’ Office window in Town Hall to seek an auto excise tax bill abatement.
First, all auto excise tax bills are generated by the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, (RMV) based on the information in its computer systems.
If you are getting an auto excise tax bill for a vehicle that you sold last year, or if you moved out of town and are still getting a bill from Holliston, it means the RMV’s records still show that the vehicle is registered to your name and address and/or as being garaged in Holliston.
When you sell a vehicle or it is “totaled”: in an accident, or if you move out of town, it is important to make sure that you notify the Registry to cancel the registration. You also should check with the Registry when you or a dealer transfer an existing registration and license plates to a new vehicle.
And, if your insurance agent says he or she “will take care of that,” you need to make sure he or she didn’t just change the vehicle’s year, make and model on your auto insurance policy, but also notified the RMV.
It’s very easy to do this by going to the Registry’s website: https://www.mass.gov/vehicle-registration and selecting the right “button” for what you want to do. You also can speed up the auto excise tax abatement process by going to the town’s website and reading what documentation is required for us to process your abatement: https://www.townofholliston.us/sites/g/files/vyhlif706/f/uploads/mvabateshort_fillable_with_signature2.pdf. The form at this link is the form you need to fill out and bring to our office with supporting documentation. We also accept this information via e-mail.
When will you get an excise tax bill for your new car? The RMV sends municipalities batches of excise bill data – known to us as “commitments” – several times each calendar year. The Tax Collector’s office and the Assessors’ Office do not know in advance the date when the Town will receive the specific billing data for your new vehicle.
