The City Collector of Taxes is responsible for collecting payment of excise tax and real estate and personal property tax. The office also is charged with sending the tax bills to residences and business in the City of Lynn.

The first step is signing up and then you can pay your bill. Make sure you have the correct account number from your bank if doing an electronic withdrawal from your checking or savings account. When making an online payment we now accept credit cards and debits from checking and savings account.

Please keep in mind that once the property tax or excise bill is past due you will no longer be able to pay online. We will post outstanding bills once demands have been issued to give you another chance to pay online.

Any questions or comments please direct them to pefstrat@ci.lynn.ma.us or you can contact the online company directly at 978-562-6349. Have fun and tell your friends how easy it was!

When are real estate tax bills mailed and payments due?
Tax bills are mailed four times a year. The quarterly tax payments are due on the following dates:
August 1st, November 1st, February 1st, May 1st

The bills are sent thirty (30) days prior to these due date.
Where should I mail my real estate tax payment?
Please mail payment to:

When does the Fiscal Year run in the City of Lynn?
The fiscal year runs from July 1st – June 30th

What are the fiscal year tax rates? (Updated Janaury 2009)
For the current fiscal year, RESIDENTIAL – $12.74 per $1,000.00 of assessed value.
COMMERICIAL, INDUSTRIAL, PERSONAL - $25.35 per $1,000.00 of assessed value.

What happens if I do not pay my tax bill?
Tax payments must be received on or before the due date to avoid interest charges. If payment is not made within 30 days of the original date of mailing, the account will begin to accrue interest at the rate of 14% computed from the date the bill was due. A demand notice will be sent and a demand fee of $15.00 is charged against the account. Please note that the demand notices are only sent on the 4th quarter bills.

If the account remains delinquent after June 30th of the fiscal year, a tax lien (a legal claim placed on property for debt) is placed on the property and is recorded with the Essex County Registry of Deeds In addition, the property is placed in the tax title system. A tax lien is the first step in the foreclosure process. All taxes, costs and interest must be paid to prevent foreclosure (see Treasurer’s Office).

Why should I pay interest on a late payment when I never received my tax bill?
Under state law, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred due to late payment(s). It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to secure his/her tax bill when one is not received.

Who is responsible for the taxes if a property is sold after January 1st?
Although the tax bill will bear the name of the assessed owner as of January 1st, the new owner is responsible for all taxes once the sale of the property is finalized. The amount of tax owed by the old owner is determined at the time of closing and is typically deducted from the selling price. Once this deduction is made, the new owner must pay all bills, as they become due in order to avoid interest, demand fees or foreclosure. The lawyers assisting each party should already have investigated any outstanding taxes and obtained a Municipal Lien Certificate. Once the agreement is made, the new owner is obligated to pay any outstanding taxes due on the property.

What should I do if I recently sold my property, but I am still receiving a tax bill?
If you receive a bill, please forward it to the new owner immediately as it is his/her responsibility to make payment.

What is a parcel number?
The parcel number is the identifying number of each individual property. For example 001-001-001 would be a parcel number.

What happens if the check I mailed "bounces"?
If your check is returned due to insufficient funds, absence of signature, or technical error, we will send you a notice giving him/her four (4) days to come in with cash or a money order. If the bill is not taken care of within the four (4) days the payment will be withdrawn from your account and it will have the same status as an ‘unpaid’ account. At this time a $25.00 bad check fee will be added to your account.

What happens when a tax bill is paid, but you receive a demand notice for tax not paid, or, you find out that you overpaid?
If you or your mortgage company have paid the bill and for some reason you receive a demand notice for nonpayment of tax due, you must provide proof of payment.

Proof of Payment Requirements
Any request for an adjustment in payment, such as a transfer of funds or a refund, must meet the following requirements:

1. Request must be in writing
2. Photocopies of the front and back of the cancelled check(s) applied to the account or original receipts of all payments applied to the account (or any combination of the two) must be submitted
3. For payments made by money order, a photocopy of the original money order, not the “non-negotiable consumer’s copy:’ is required
4. On receipt of the written request and submission of complete documentation, our staff examines the information verifying such with our records and we will notify the taxpayer of out findings

How do I get a Municipal Lien Certificate? How much will it cost and how long does it take?
If you wish to obtain a Municipal Lien Certificate (MLC), the following are required:
1. Property address and parcel number
2. Self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish the MLC be mailed to you
3. Acceptable forms of payment: attorney’s check, personal check, money order, and cash (if in person)
4. The fee for a MLC is $25.00 (per parcel number)
5. Allow ten (10) business days for processing.

Mail request to:

Lynn City Hall
Tax Collector’s Office - Room 204
Attn: MLC Department
3 City Hall Square
Lynn, MA 01901

What is motor vehicle excise?
Chapter 60A of Mass. General laws imposes an excise on the privilege of registering a motor vehicle or a trailer in the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The excise is levied annually on lieu of a tangible personal property tax. Non-registered vehicles, however, remain subject to the taxation as personal property. The excise is levied by the city or town where the vehicle is principally garaged and the revenues become part of the local community treasury.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles prepares the data for excise bills according to the information on the motor vehicle registration and sends it to the city or town assessors. Cities and towns then prepare bills based on excise date sent by the Registry in conformity with Registry requirements.

Who collects the motor vehicle excise?
Local tax collectors are responsible for collecting the motor vehicle and trailer excise. Tax collectors and deputy tax collectors do not accept partial payment of an excise bill. Taxpayers should be prepared to pay the full amount due. There are no special considerations for financial hardship.

When is motor vehicle excise payment due?
Payment of motor vehicle excise is due within 30 days from the date the excise bill is issued.

NOTE: A person who does not receive a bill is still liable for the excise plus any interest charges accrued. Therefore, it is important to keep the Registry and the post office informed of a current name and address so that excise bills can be delivered promptly. All owners of motor vehicles must pay an excise tax; therefore it is the responsibility of the owner to contact this office if you have not received a bill.

What happens if my payment is late?
If an excise is not paid within 30 days from the date of issue, the local tax collector sends a demand. The charge for the demand is $15.00. Interest accrues on the overdue bill from the day after the due date until the date of payment at an annual rate of 12 percent.

If the demand is not answered within 14 days, the collector may issue a warrant to the deputy collector. The taxpayer is then additionally liable for a warrant fee of $10.00. The warrant notice sent by the deputy collector costs $12.00.

If this notice is not answered than a final warrant, a service warrant, will be delivered or exhibited to the taxpayer at his/her residence at a fee of $17.00. All bills should clearly state the interest and penalty charges.

How does non-payment of motor vehicle excise affect license and registration?
If the service warrant demanding final payment is ignored, the collector may then notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles of such non-payment, including all accrued interest and penalty fees. The Registrar may then mark the individual’s registration preventing the renewal of the motor vehicle registration and the owner’s driver’s license until such time as the Registry is notified that full and final payment has been made to the city or town. This payment shall include a $20.00 release fee as final settlement of the delinquent excise. At this time all delinquent bills must be paid, whether they are marked at the registry or not, by cash or money order. Once the bill(s) has been paid the owner will receive a release form from this office, this form must be brought to the Registry of Motor Vehicles in order to advise them that the delinquent bill(s) has been paid, as we do not notify the registry of payment.

Can I get an abatement?
Please contact the Assessor’s Office.

What are personal property taxes?
All personal property situated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and personal property belonging to the inhabitants of the Commonwealth wherever situated, is subject to taxation unless expressly exempted by law.

What property is taxable?
Tangible (that is, physical) property is subject to the personal property tax unless exempted by statute. Items defined as tangible personal property range from the chairs in a barbershop to the furnishings of a doctor’s waiting room; from the drills used by a dentist to the poles owned by a utility.

What property is exempt?
Please contact the Assessor’s Office.

When is Personal Property billed?
Personal Property is on the same billing schedule as Real Estate.