Tax Amnesty Program -- Dedham, MA

The Boston Globe, 3/28/2004

"In a few days, many residents with outstanding tax bills will be able to pay up without interest. Last year, Town Meeting voters approved a tax amnesty program that begins April 1. The goal of the program is to collect outstanding taxes and close old accounts."

COMMENT:

Note that this amnesty applies to unpaid real estate taxes for any property from any year, even if there is a tax lien on the property. It does not cover personal property tax, sewer fees, sewer added to tax, water fees added to tax, interest added to tax, motor vehicle excise tax, or any other type of fee charged by the town.

Be careful with the timing of when you pay. The town must have your payment in hand no earlier than Thursday April 1 and no later than Friday April 30. A postmark of April 30 won’t do; And, if you pay earlier than April 1, you will be charged interest at the rate of 14-16 percent per year and you don’t get a refund later. After April 30, all interest charges are reinstated back to the original due dates of the tax.

This tax amnesty in Massachusetts is just one example of local programs that appear around the country from time to time. The Ohio Municipal Income Tax Amnesty that we reported on March 18 is another example. It may be worth your time to check on your own localities for additional amnesty programs. Use the following links to assist you:

http://www.statetaxcentral.com/Multistate/Taxes_by_City/

http://www.statetaxcentral.com/Multistate/Taxes_by_County/


- posted by Ronald @ 4:12 PM