Answer: At the end of this month.
The fiscal (government revenue) year for the state and municipal governments begins on July 1st. The Town of Holliston will be mailing out what are known as “preliminary” bills at the end of June.
Preliminary tax bills will cover the first and second quarter of the fiscal year (July 1st through December 31st), which non-government people know better as the third and fourth quarters of the calendar year.
Preliminary bills are calculated by dividing your tax payments from the previous fiscal year (July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025) by four and applying that amount to each of the new fiscal year’s first two quarters. Payments for these two quarters are due on August 1st and November 1st, respectively.
“Actual” bills – based on your Fiscal Year 2026 assessed valuation tax rate – will be mailed out in late December and will cover the third and fourth quarters of the fiscal year, which non-government people know better as the first and second quarters of the calendar year. Payments for these two quarters are due on February 1st and May 1st, respectively.
Some other dates to remember:
- Exemption Applications for Fiscal Year 2026 can be submitted beginning July 1st and continuing through the end of March, 2026. If you received an exemption in the current fiscal year as a qualifying senior, veteran, veteran’s surviving spouse, blind person or for financial and medical hardship, the Assessors’ Office will mail you an application for the new fiscal year. If you want your exemption to be reflected in your actual tax bills, please submit your application by mid-November.
- Applications for the town’s senior means-tested exemption are available on July 1st and must be returned no later than September 15th. If you received a senior circuit breaker tax credit after filing your 2024 Massachusetts state income tax return, you are eligible for this exemption.
- Abatements: Under Massachusetts state law, the only time to apply for an abatement (reduction) of your property valuation (and, therefore, your property taxes) is between the time you receive your “actual” tax bill and February 1st. Applications will be available beginning January 2, 2026 in the Assessors’ Office and also can be downloaded from the Assessors’ department page on the town’s website. The Board of Assessors has 90 days from the date you submit your application to review and make a decision on whether to grant or deny your request.
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