Frequently Asked Questions

The current tax rate is $6.17 per thousand for residential (Fiscal Year 2026).  The Commercial/Industrial/Personal Property (CIP) tax rate is $5.71 per thousand.

To change the mailing address for your Truro property, complete the Address Change Form available on this website and mail or email it to the Assessors Office (PO Box 2030, Truro MA 02666 or click here

To change the mailing address for your Motor Vehicle excise, you must contact the Registry of Motor Vehicles at 800-858-3926 or you can use the RMV Online Center here.

This is normal: Massachusetts General Laws direct that the name of the Owner of Record as of January 1 (which is the assessment date, prior to the Fiscal Year) will appear on the next fiscal years two tax bills (October and April).  The “C/O” in front of your name stands for “Current Owner”.  Once the fiscal year has run its cycle, the former owner’s name will drop off because on the next January 1^st, your name will appear as the Owner of Record.

In Truro, each fiscal year starts on July 1 and ends the next June 30.   The fiscal year is named after the year in which the fiscal period ends.  Ex. Fiscal 2026 ends on June 30, 2026 (it started on July 1, 2025).

Personal Property is a Massachusetts tax that is assessed to properties assumed to not be the owner’s Primary Domicile (aka, a second home).

The definition of Personal Property is anything that can be removed without affecting the structure, such as household furnishings, appliances, furniture, bedding, artwork, recreation equipment, etc. 

The value is estimated using data obtained every five years by mailing a survey to 200 randomly selected homeowners.  In Truro, the last survey mailing was in 2021, and the survey results determined that the average value of Personal Property in a single family home was 2% (.5% for condos).  In January 2026, a new survey was mailed out.

Your Primary Domicile does not receive a Personal Property tax bill because the tax is only for a property that is not your Primary Domicile.

If your Truro property is your Primary Domicile but has more than one dwelling unit on it, the Personal Property tax bill is related to the other dwelling unit(s).

Personal Property tax is assessed to whoever owned the property on January 1 preceding the beginning of the fiscal year.  That owner is responsible for the entire bill even if the property was sold shortly after January 1.  The bill cannot be pro-rated for the months that you did not own the property.

The Assessing Office must establish the full and fair cash value of all real estate by reviewing qualified sales – what “willing sellers" and "willing buyers" are doing in the marketplace using the time period directed by the Department of Revenue. These are often called "Arms Length sales".   “Full and fair cash value” means current market value, what the property would sell for on the open market.  

We then use these sales (that can be between 1.5 to 2 years old by the time the tax bill comes out in October) to establish the property values for the upcoming fiscal year. 

 The Assessors also keep a record of important factors of the properties and buildings thereon such as location, house size, quality of construction, amount of finished square footage, and any outbuildings or features on the land.  That data is then valued by cost of construction data in the area. The object of the valuation program is to estimate "reasonable cash value" as of January 1 (known as the "assessment date") prior to the fiscal year. 

CPA stands for the Community Preservation Act.  It is a state law (MGL Chapter 44B) that gives towns the option to adopt a property tax surcharge to help fund projects that preserve the character of the community.  Matching money is available from the state.  The collected money is administered by the CPA Committee and the use of it is ultimately approved at Town Meeting.

Massachusetts Motor Vehicle excise tax is an annual local tax on registered vehicles, calculated at $25 per $1,000 of the vehicle’s value, based on a percentage of the manufacturer’s original list price that decreases with the car’s age and stops at 10% of the original MSRP.  The billing data is sent to the Town from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, and the Town sends out individual bills according to Department of Revenue directives.  

A Town’s assessment process differs from a paid-for appraisal in that “mass assessment” assesses many properties at once as part of determining property tax.  A fee appraisal from an appraisal company is done for purposes of purchase, refinancing, estate valuation, etc. and deals with only one property.

Being able to verify the interior data ensures that accurate data is used to make a determination of the overall property value. You are not required to let the Assessing Data Collector into your home if the Data Collector is visiting for a Nine-Year-Cyclical or Building Permit inspection.  Examples of items of interest are: condition, living area, number & quality of bedrooms, bathrooms and fireplaces, and whether parts or all of attics and basements are finished or unfinished. During a visit, the Data Collector will be happy to explain the information on your property record card.  If you refuse entrance to the Data Collector, there is no penalty, but you may give up the option to challenge the assessed value. This also ensures everyone pays their fair share of the property tax levy. 

A significant part of a property’s value is not just the physical aspects, but its value in the real estate market.  Although there may not have been any physical changes to the property, buyers may be paying more or less for properties similar to yours than they were in previous years.  All properties in the Town do not change in value to exactly the same degree because market value is based on sales trends - one type of land or house may be more or less in demand than in the past. 

A property valuation may be disputed via the Real Estate Abatement process. Real Estate Abatement applications are available at the Assessing office and on the Town website in the Assessing Department section. Applications are accepted during the thirty days after the Fall tax bill mailing date, which is the same time period that payments are due.  (However filing an application for Real Estate Abatement does not put your tax payment on hold.)  

The Town website (Assessing Department) has more information about Abatements, including a page of Abatement instructions.  If you have additional questions, the Principal Assessor would be happy to speak with you.