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Frequently asked questions
Everything about checking your Massachusetts assessment, filing an abatement, and the guided appeal packet. Still stuck? Contact us.
Is the check really free?
Yes. The initial check is free and does not require payment or an account. You only pay if the check suggests a possible basis for an abatement and you choose to prepare the guided appeal packet.
Why does my assessment matter if I’m worried about my tax bill?
Your property tax bill is calculated from your assessed value multiplied by your local tax rate. If your assessment is too high, your tax bill is too high. Filing for an abatement is the way to ask your city or town to lower the assessment, which lowers the bill.
What is a property tax abatement?
A property tax abatement is a formal request to reduce an assessed value or tax amount. In Massachusetts, homeowners submit the application to their local Board of Assessors, generally on State Tax Form 128.
What is Form 128?
State Tax Form 128 is the Massachusetts Application for Abatement of Real Property Tax. It is the standard form used to ask your local assessors to reduce your assessment. Property Tax Hawk helps you prepare a pre-filled Form 128 with a supporting Exhibit A.
What is included in the appeal packet?
The guided appeal packet is a pre-filled State Tax Form 128 plus Exhibit A — a supporting statement that organizes the comparable sales indicating a lower value and the property-specific facts that support a lower assessment, ready for you to review, sign, and file.
Do you file the application for me?
No. Property Tax Hawk helps you prepare the information and paperwork. You are responsible for reviewing, signing, and filing the application with your city or town by the deadline.
Is this legal, tax, or appraisal advice?
No. Property Tax Hawk provides automated information and guided form-preparation support. It is not a law firm, tax advisor, or appraisal firm, and it does not provide legal, tax, or appraisal advice or determine market value.
What if my town has a different deadline?
Deadlines vary by town and tax-bill cycle. A Massachusetts abatement application is generally due on or before the date the first actual (non-preliminary) tax bill is due, and the deadline cannot be extended. Always confirm the exact date with your local assessor’s office.
How much could I save?
It depends on how over-assessed the property is and your local tax rate. The free check gives an estimated annual tax impact if the assessment appears high. That figure is an estimate to verify, not a guarantee of savings.
Do you guarantee I will save money?
No. The tool can help identify a possible over-assessment and prepare the paperwork, but your city or town decides whether to grant an abatement. No outcome is guaranteed.
How do you choose comparable properties?
We start with recent arm’s-length sales of homes most similar to yours — matched on style, living area, bedroom and bathroom count, lot size, age, condition, and location — and adjust for the differences that remain. This sales-comparison approach is what Massachusetts assessors and the Appellate Tax Board use to determine fair cash value. A price-per-square-foot figure is a useful quick signal, but the strongest case relies on the most similar nearby sales, not a town-wide average. When you build your packet you can widen or narrow the comparison (same street, neighborhood, or town).