Is your property tax bill too high?
Your tax bill starts with your assessment. Run a free check to see whether your Massachusetts home may be over-assessed. If the numbers suggest a real issue, you can continue to guided abatement paperwork.
Free check. No account. No payment required.
Miss your town’s deadline and you overpay for another full year. Most of Massachusetts gives you one short window to challenge your assessment — often only weeks after your first actual tax bill, with no extensions.
Free to check. Flat fee if you continue.
Available if the free check suggests a possible basis and you decide to continue.
Continue after free checkOverassessed MA provides automated information and guided form-preparation support. It does not guarantee an abatement and does not file anything on your behalf.
What the free check tells you
Whether your assessment appears high
We compare your assessed value against relevant property and market data for your area.
What it may be costing you
If the assessment appears high, we estimate the possible annual impact on your tax bill.
Whether it may be worth continuing
If there appears to be a basis, you can decide whether to prepare the abatement packet.
From tax worry to a filing-ready packet
Free Check
See whether your assessment may be too high and what that could mean for your tax bill.
Guided Abatement Packet
If it appears worth pursuing, prepare the paperwork and supporting information for your town.
Continue only if the free check suggests a possible issue.
How the assessment & abatement process works
A quick, plain-English overview. Overassessed MA is informational only — not legal or tax advice.
Your assessment sets your tax bill
Each year your city or town assesses your home at its estimated fair cash value as of January 1. Your tax bill is that assessed value multiplied by the local tax rate — so if the assessment is too high, your tax bill is too.
An abatement is how you challenge it
If you believe your assessment is too high, you can apply for an abatement — a request asking your local Board of Assessors to lower it. In Massachusetts this is filed on State Tax Form 128.
The deadline is short and firm
An abatement application is generally due on or before the date your first actual (non-preliminary) tax bill for the year is due, often early in the calendar year. This deadline cannot be extended, so confirm your town’s exact date.
Review, decision, and appeal
The assessors review your application and may grant it, deny it, or take no action. If you disagree with the outcome, you can generally appeal to the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board within three months.
Overassessed MA helps you check your assessment and prepare the paperwork — you review, sign, and file with your town. Verify all deadlines and requirements with your city or town.
If it looks worth challenging, the guided packet helps you prepare
The guided workflow helps you organize the information commonly needed for a Massachusetts abatement application, without making you start from a blank form.
- Plain-English assessment summary
- Comparable-property support
- Estimated tax impact
- Guided Form 128 preparation
- Filing checklist
- Town-specific filing reminders where available
- Copy you can review before signing and submitting
Built for Massachusetts homeowners
Massachusetts-specific process
Designed around the Massachusetts abatement process and State Tax Form 128.
Uses public assessment data
Starts with public property records and assessment information.
You stay in control
You decide whether to continue, whether to sign, and whether to file.
Clear limits
Informational support only. Not a law firm, appraisal service, tax advisor, or government agency.
Frequently asked questions
Is the check really free?
Yes. The initial check is free and does not require payment.
Why does my assessment matter if I’m worried about my tax bill?
Your tax bill is calculated from your assessed value and your local tax rate. If your assessment is too high, your tax bill may be too high. The abatement process is the way to ask your city or town to reduce the assessment.
What is a property tax abatement?
A property tax abatement is a request to reduce an assessed value or tax amount. In Massachusetts, homeowners generally submit the application to their local board of assessors.
What is Form 128?
Form 128 is the Massachusetts abatement application form commonly used to seek a property tax abatement.
Do you file the application for me?
No. Overassessed MA helps you prepare information and paperwork. You are responsible for reviewing, signing, and filing with your city or town.
Is this legal, tax, or appraisal advice?
No. Overassessed MA provides automated information and guided form-preparation support. It is not legal, tax, or appraisal advice.
What if my town has a different deadline?
Deadlines can vary depending on the town and tax bill cycle. You should confirm the deadline with your local assessor’s office.
Do you guarantee I will save money?
No. The tool can help identify a possible issue and prepare paperwork, but the city or town decides whether to grant an abatement.
Overassessed MA provides automated information and guided form-preparation support. It does not guarantee an abatement and does not file anything on your behalf.