“Why do I get a Motor Vehicle Excise Tax bill when I’ve sold the vehicle in question, it was “totaled” in an accident or when I’ve moved out of town?”
The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) provides the Town of Holliston with the information used to generate the auto excise tax bills. It is up to the vehicle owner to make sure the RMV knows abut the status of your car, truck or trailer.
Remember these questions:
· If you sold the vehicle, have you transferred the registration plates to a new car or cancelled them? You will need proof of this if you are seeking an auto excise tax abatement on the bill for that vehicle.
· If the car was destroyed in an accident, have you transferred the registration plates to another vehicle or cancelled them? You will need proof of this if you are seeking an auto excise tax abatement on the bill for that vehicle.
· If you have moved out of town, have you changed the place of “garaging” on your registration? If not, the RMV will bill you at your former Holliston address.
Even if they say , “We’ll take care of this for you,” do not rely on your auto insurance agent/company to do any of these tasks for you. Their focus is on updating information on your auto insurance policy. The ones who help with the RMV info are few and far between.
The RMV’s website https://www.mass.gov/orgs/massachusetts-registry-of-motor-vehicles features an “Online Service Center” that allows you to perform more than 60 different transactions – including cancelling old plates and changing your address.
If you are seeking an abatement on your auto excise tax bill, the Assessors’ Office webpage on the Ton of Holliston’s website, https://www.townofholliston.us/assessors, has information for you. In the column of blue buttons on the let side of the page, click on “Motor Vehicle Excise Abatement” to download the necessary form.
This form also lists what information is needed by the Assessors’ Office if your vehicle was: sold or traded, stolen or a total loss, repossessed, junked, returned under the Lemon Law, you moved within Massachusetts or you moved out of state. Looking at this list and bringing the required information with you will save time in processing any refund owed to you.
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