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Treasurer/Collector

***Water/Sewer/trash bills due by March 11, 2024** Call the Treasurer/Collectors office at 781-581-0088 or email Ed Locke (Treasurer) at elocke@nahant.org if you have any questions

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The Treasurer/Collector is responsible for the billing, collecting and investing all the Town funds including, real estate and personal property taxes, motor vehicle excises, water/sewer trash and well as a myriad of miscellaneous departmental service charges, permits, licenses, fees and processing payroll.

The Treasurer/Collector administers and arranges for the timely disbursement of all payments to vendors, Town employees and retirees.

New Online Payment Service | City Hall Systems

The Town of Nahant is excited to offer residents a new, secure and convenient method to pay your current Real Estate, Personal Property, Water/Sewer/Trash and and current motor vehicle bills. We are now offering online payment using City Hall Systems Online Payment System.

We will continue to utilize the Kelley & Ryan Municipal ePayment System to pay your Overdue Motor Vehicle and all Parking Tickets Issued by the Town of Nahant.

Use the Online Payment tab on the right of this page to see our online payment options and more.

Our Town Hall Dropbox

A drop box is available at the front of Town Hall for payment of all town bills. The box is located outside Town Hall to the left of the main steps. **DO NOT PUT CASH PAYMENTS IN THE DROP BOX. ALL CASH PAYMENTS MUST BE MADE IN PERSON DURING REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS**

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax

The motor vehicle excise tax is imposed on every motor vehicle and trailer registered in Massachusetts. The tax is imposed for the privilege of using the roadways and for registering a motor vehicle. The registration process of a motor vehicle automatically triggers the assessment of the excise.

The information on all excise tax bills comes directly and exclusively from the information your insurance company or agent supplies to the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The Town of Nahant receives the bills via a tape from the Registry and mails and collects the tax. We do not assess the tax or compile the information on your bills.

The motor vehicle excise tax is assessed at a rate of $25.00 per $1,000 value. The Registry of Motor Vehicles sets this value. The original (model year) value is based upon the manufacturer’s list price according to the N.A.D.A Blue Book. The taxable value is adjusted each year in accordance with the following schedule:

Year Prior to Model Year50%
Model Year90%
Second Year60%
Third Year40%
Fourth Year25%
Fifth Year and Each Year Thereafter10%

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax bills are issued on a calendar-year basis. The bill is owed to the community where the vehicle or trailer was garaged as of January 1. The address of the registrant is based upon the registration address provided by the owner to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Vehicles registered for a portion of a calendar year are eligible for proration based upon whole months. For new registrations, this occurs automatically. For cancelled or changed registrations, it is up to the owner to notify the Board of Assessors. Once issued, a bill cannot be abated below $5.00 unless the registration date as of January 1 was erroneous; e.g., wrong place of garaging or ownership, or plate.

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax bills are issued on a calendar-year basis. The bill is owed to the community where the vehicle or trailer was garaged as of January 1. The address of the registrant is based upon the registration address provided by the owner to the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

A plate return receipt or insurance termination notice is normally sufficient documentation for the Board of Assessors. When existing plates are transferred to a new vehicle, a copy of the new registration provides adequate evidence.

Owners of vehicles registered as of January 1 can expect to receive a bill by late February or early March. A new registration normally produces a bill 2 to 3 months afterwards.

The most common source of taxpayer confusion arises when a vehicle is registered late in the calendar year. This generates a tax bill early in the next calendar year, which may be followed soon thereafter by a full year bill for the new calendar year. Each bill identifies the year prominently. Taxpayers should make note of the year of the bill when paying an excise tax.

Common Problems

The most common reason for a tax bill to be issued for a vehicle no longer on the road is the failure of the owner to return the plates to the Registry of Motor Vehicles as required. If a vehicle no longer on the road retains the plate registration, the bill may not be abated until it is sold or junked.

The most common reason for a tax bill to be issued to a former place of residence is the failure to notify the Registry of Motor Vehicles of the address change or the new place of garaging.

It is important to note that state law authorizes the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to suspend or revoke the license or registration of an operator or owner of a motor vehicle for failure to report within 30 days any change of name or address.

Questions concerning tax payments should be addressed to the Collector at (781) 581-0018.

Questions concerning tax errors, valuations, over-valuations or exemptions must be addressed to the Assessor’s Office at (781) 581-0212.

Online Payment

The Town of Nahant is excited to offer residents a new, secure and convenient method to pay your current Real Estate, Personal Property, Water/Sewer/Trash and current motor vehicle bills. We are now offering online payment using City Hall Systems Online Payment System.

City Hall System’s has over 20 years of experience in online municipal bill collection and financial management services.

We will continue to utilize the Kelley & Ryan Municipal ePayment System to pay your Overdue Motor Vehicle and all Parking Tickets Issued by the Town of Nahant.

Overdue Motor Vehicle and Parking Tickets can be paid online with Kelley Ryan (see below).

Any other overdue bills must be paid directly to the Treasurer/Collector at the Town Hall.

Pay Your Current Real Estate, Property, Water/Sewer/Trash, and Current Motor Vehicle Bills by at City Hall Systems by clicking the link below:

Pay Your Overdue Motor Vehicle and All Parking Tickets Issued by the Town of Nahant at Kelley & Ryan by clicking the link below:

Bill Payment Reminder Schedule
Due Dates are Approximate Depending on Mail Date

TYPEDATE
Real Estate Taxes1st Payment Due: November 1st
 2nd Payment Due: May 1st
Personal Property Taxes1st Payment Due: November 1st
 2nd Payment Due: May 1st
Trash FeesBills are mailed mid-July
Water Sewer Fees1st Payment Due: October
 2nd Payment Due: February
 3rd Payment Due: June
Personal/Property Tax Collection

Nahant real estate and personal property taxes are paid on a biannual basis. The fiscal year begins on July 1st and ends on June 30th of each year. The following table outlines the payment system:

BillingDate MailedDue Date
1st BillingOctober 1stNovember 1st
2nd BillingApril 1stMay 1st

If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, taxes are due the first business day thereafter.

Payment Information

The Nahant Town Hall is open from Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 4 PM and on Friday from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM. The building is closed Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

Mailing Address for Governmental Offices:
Town of Nahant
Office of the Collector of Taxes
334 Nahant Road
Nahant, MA 01908

Change of Address

If you purchase a home during the year or want to change the mailing address on your bills, please print out, complete a Change of Owner form in full, and mail it to the Treasurer/Collector’s office in Town Hall.

Change of Address Form

Penalty for Late Payment

Interest at an annual rate of 14%, computed per day, is assessed on all payments received at the Collector’s Office after the due dates outlined above.

Important Tax Payment Tips

  • If taxes are paid from a bank escrow account, send both copies of your bill to your bank when you receive it from Town Hall. The first tax bill is mailed no later than October 1st. The second tax bill is mailed no later than April 1st.
  • Do not mail cash.
  • Sign and date your check. Unsigned checks will be returned. DO NOT POST DATE THE CHECK. Checks will not be held by the Collector for later deposit. A post-dated check that is processed and not honored by the bank will result in penalties and fees and charges imposed by both the bank and the Town.
  • To request a receipt, you must include both copies of your bill and a stamped self-addressed envelope with your payment. If you are a new homeowner, please understand that Massachusetts’s law requires that the tax bill be sent to the record owner as of the previous January 1st. You should retrieve a copy of your tax bill at Town Hall to avoid late payment penalties. Massachusetts’s law states that your failure to receive a tax bill does not invalidate the tax or the proceedings for collection.
  • Questions concerning tax payments should be addressed to the Collector at (781) 581-0018.
  • Questions concerning valuations, over-valuations, abatements including the elderly, blind, veterans’ or hardships, exemptions or deferrals must be addressed to the Assessor’s Office at (781) 581-0212Visit the Assessor’s webpage for more information and online forms.

Electronic Payments Through Your Bank

If you make payments electronically through your bank, make sure you indicate the account number on your bank check.

Trash Bill Collection

Trash bills are sent out annually in July.

Mailing Address for Governmental Offices:
Town Hall
Office of the Collector of Taxes
334 Nahant Road
Nahant, MA 01908

Change of Address

If you purchase a home during the year or want to change the mailing address on your bills, please print out, complete a Change of Owner/Address form in full, and mail it to the Treasurer/Collector’s office in Town Hall. 

Change of Address

Water and Sewer Bill Collection

Water and Sewer bills are mailed (3) three times per year. The approximate mailing dates are outlined as follows:

BillingDate MailedDue Date
1st BillingJanuary 1stFebruary 1st
2nd BillingMay 1stJune 1st
3rd BillingSeptember 1stOctober 1st

If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, taxes are due the first business day thereafter.

Billing Disputes

Disputes of water and sewer bills must be made in writing to the Town Administrator within 14 days of receipt of the bill.

Mailing Address for Governmental Offices:
Town of Nahant
Office of the Collector of Taxes
334 Nahant Road
Nahant, MA 01908

Change of Address

If you purchase a home during the year or want to change the mailing address on your bills, please print out, complete a Change of Owner form in full, and mail it to the Treasurer/Collector’s office in Town Hall.

Change of Address Form

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