Exemptions – which are “a release or discharge from the obligation to pay all or a portion of a local property tax” (Massachusetts Department of Revenue definition) – are authorized under Massachusetts state laws, which require that people apply annually for them.
If you’re a Holliston homeowner who already is receiving an exemption, the Assessors’ Office will mail you a new application form every year in late June so that you can apply for the new fiscal year (Fiscal years run from July 1st to the following June 30th).
You have until the following April 1st to submit your application. However, if you want to see the exemption reflected in your “actual” tax bills (the third and fourth quarter bills mailed to you in late December), the Assessors’ Office needs to receive your application before Thanksgiving.
The only exemption application with a different deadline is Holliston’s Senior Means-Tested exemption – based on the state Senior Circuit Breaker Income Tax Credit. The Assessors’ Office needs to receive this application by mid-September.
The exemptions available to Holliston homeowners primarily are for seniors and veterans. Certain non-profit, charitable groups also qualify for exemptions, but have different applications and deadlines.
In Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025), the Board of Assessors approved $245,896.08 in exemptions to 111 Holliston residents.
If you have moved to Holliston from another state, please remember that available exemptions differ from state to state.
A list of what exemptions are available to Holliston residents can be found on the Assessors’ page (https://www.townofholliston.us/188/Assessors) on the Town of Holliston’s website.
