How to pay your real estate taxes

The City operates on a fiscal year that starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. We use a quarterly tax billing system, meaning we mail tax bills four times per year:

• First quarter: July 1
• Second quarter: October 1
• Third quarter: January 1
• Fourth quarter: April 1

We send tax bills 30 days before their due date. Your quarterly tax bills are due on these dates:

• First-quarter bills: August 1
• Second-quarter bills: November 1
• Third-quarter bills: February 1
• Fourth-quarter bills: May 1

If the first of the month falls on a weekend, your bill is due on the following Monday.

Assessed taxes on real estate stay with the property — not the name on the tax bill. So, if you own the property, you need to make sure that the property taxes are paid. Otherwise, the unpaid taxes could result in a lien against the property.

The name on the tax bill is the property owner on January 1 before the start of the given fiscal year. If you sell a property and we still mail you a tax bill, please forward it to the new owner of the property.

You can pay your real estate taxes with a credit or debit card or a checking account.

• Payments made by electronic check/ACH are not subject to a service fee. However, payments made by debit or credit card will incur a non-refundable service fee of 2.75% of the total payment amount ($1.00 minimum).
• The online service is closed daily from 11 p.m. to 12 a.m. If you have any questions about payments, call the Collector’s Office at 617-635-4136.

Pay property taxes online

The City operates on a fiscal year that starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. We use a quarterly tax billing system, meaning we mail tax bills four times per year:

• First quarter: July 1
• Second quarter: October 1
• Third quarter: January 1
• Fourth quarter: April 1

We send tax bills 30 days before their due date. Your quarterly tax bills are due on these dates:

• First-quarter bills: August 1
• Second-quarter bills: November 1
• Third-quarter bills: February 1
• Fourth-quarter bills: May 1

If the first of the month falls on a weekend, your bill is due on the following Monday.

Assessed taxes on real estate stay with the property — not the name on the tax bill. So, if you own the property, you need to make sure that the property taxes are paid. Otherwise, the unpaid taxes could result in a lien against the property.

The name on the tax bill is the property owner on January 1 before the start of the given fiscal year. If you sell a property and we still mail you a tax bill, please forward it to the new owner of the property.

You will need your bill number to pay by phone. It can be found on your bill next to the ward and parcel numbers.  If the bill number is less than 6 digits, you will need to add leading zeros.

You can pay over the phone using an interactive voice response operator by calling 855-731-9898. We accept payments made using a credit or debit card, or a checking account. Our pay-by-phone system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The City operates on a fiscal year that starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. We use a quarterly tax billing system, meaning we mail tax bills four times per year:

• First quarter: July 1
• Second quarter: October 1
• Third quarter: January 1
• Fourth quarter: April 1

We send tax bills 30 days before their due date. Your quarterly tax bills are due on these dates:

• First-quarter bills: August 1
• Second-quarter bills: November 1
• Third-quarter bills: February 1
• Fourth-quarter bills: May 1

If the first of the month falls on a weekend, your bill is due on the following Monday.

Assessed taxes on real estate stay with the property — not the name on the tax bill. So, if you own the property, you need to make sure that the property taxes are paid. Otherwise, the unpaid taxes could result in a lien against the property.

The name on the tax bill is the property owner on January 1 before the start of the given fiscal year. If you sell a property and we still mail you a tax bill, please forward it to the new owner of the property.

The City operates on a fiscal year that starts on July 1 and ends on June 30. We use a quarterly tax billing system, meaning we mail tax bills four times per year:

• First quarter: July 1
• Second quarter: October 1
• Third quarter: January 1
• Fourth quarter: April 1

We send tax bills 30 days before their due date. Your quarterly tax bills are due on these dates:

• First-quarter bills: August 1
• Second-quarter bills: November 1
• Third-quarter bills: February 1
• Fourth-quarter bills: May 1

If the first of the month falls on a weekend, your bill is due on the following Monday.

Assessed taxes on real estate stay with the property — not the name on the tax bill. So, if you own the property, you need to make sure that the property taxes are paid. Otherwise, the unpaid taxes could result in a lien against the property.

The name on the tax bill is the property owner on January 1 before the start of the given fiscal year. If you sell a property and we still mail you a tax bill, please forward it to the new owner of the property.

At City Hall, we accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.

If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.

If your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

Bring the copy of your tax bill and payment to City Hall:

Mezzanine level, Window M-10, 11, 12

1 City Hall Square

Boston, MA 02201

Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.