Frequently Asked Questions

The tax rates for Fiscal 2024 are:

• Residential: $14 per thousand 
• Commercial, Industrial, and Personal Property: $27.50 per thousand

100% of full and fair cash value.

The courts have defined this phrase to mean "current market value", the price arrived at by a willing buyer and a willing seller, each with a good knowledge of the market and each acting without undue pressure or compulsion. Thus, in determining value, assessors seek to approximate what property would sell for on the open market within an acceptable range of error.

If you need certified owner information, you have two options:

• Go in to the Assessor's Office for this information
• Mail in a request for information, with an inquiry fee of $1 per parcel

All properties listed on the Assessing website are sorted by street address, owner's name, or Map and Lot number.

Please contact the Assessor's Office by phone at 978-568-9622 or by a written request.

If you wish to obtain a Municipal Lien Certificate, the requirements are:

• The Parcel ID (Map and Lot.)
• Owner's name
• Property location
• $25 per parcel requested 
• A self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish the municipal lien certificate mailed to you

Acceptable forms of payment are attorney's check, certified or registered check, and cash (if in person). Please allow ten business days for processing. 

Mail your request to: 

Collector of Taxes
Town of Hudson
78 Main Street
Hudson MA 01749

Download the Municipal Lien Request Form (PDF).

You can file an application with the Assessor's Main Office at 78 Main Street, Hudson, MA 01749.

You must file between January 1 and February 1 of the tax year. However, you should ask yourself three questions before filing for an abatement:

• Is the data on my property correct?
• Is my value in line with others on my street?
• Is my value in line with recent sale prices in my neighborhood?

The Reevaluation staff will be happy to assist you to determine whether your assessment is fair and equitable.

Tax bills are mailed four times a year. The quarterly tax payments are due on  August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1. 

The bills are sent 30 days prior to these due dates. Payments are due 30 days from the date the tax bill is issued.

Please send your payment and remittance slip to Town of Hudson. Please make checks payable to Town of Hudson. If you do not have a remittance slip, for proper crediting, please write the parcel ID (Map, Lot) on the check and include the property location and owner's name. To obtain a receipt, enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope and both portions of the bill with the payment.

You should request a duplicate tax bill by calling the Tax Collectors Office at 978-568-9610.

Tax payments must be received on or before the due date to avoid interest charges. If payment is not made within 30 days of the original date of mailing, the account will begin to accrue interest at the rate of 14% per annum, computed from the date the bill was due. A demand notice will be sent, and a demand fee of $5 will be charged against the account. 

Please note that demand notices are sent only on the third and fourth quarter bills. If the account remains delinquent after June 30th of the fiscal year, a tax lien (a legal claim placed on property for debt) is placed on the property and is recorded with the Middlesex County Registry of Deeds. In addition, the property is placed in the tax title system. A tax lien is the first step in the foreclosure process. All taxes, costs, and interest must be paid to prevent foreclosure.

If your taxes are escrowed by a bank or mortgage company, you will want to ensure that they make timely payment. Most banks and mortgage companies subscribe to a tax service that will notify them directly of the amount they need to pay for your taxes. However, if you have recently purchased, refinanced, or have a mortgage company that does not subscribe to a tax service, it will be up to you to notify them by forwarding your tax bill to them. Do not change your mailing address on your tax bill to be sent directly to the Mortgage Company. It will impede you from receiving proper notice of unpaid taxes. You may request that your mortgage company receive a duplicate tax bill if necessary by emailing us.

Under state law, failure to receive a bill does not affect the validity of the tax or any interest or fines incurred due to late payment(s). It is the responsibility of the taxpayer to secure his/her tax bill when one is not received. 

You can request a duplicate tax bill by calling the Tax Collector's Office at 978-568-9610. The Tax Collector's Office will mail you a remittance slip on request. However, the request must be received early enough to allow sufficient time to avoid late charges.

New owners will be automatically updated by the Assessor's Office upon receipt of a copy of the recorded deed from the Registry of Deeds. If the sale is very close to a tax due date, you may call the Tax Collector's Office at 978-568-9610 or email us for a remittance slip to be sent to you. You may also update the mailing address on the bill by contacting the Assessing Department at 978-568-9622.

The Collector of Taxes is required by Massachusetts General Law to issue the bill to the assessed owner as of January 1. Therefore, the old owner will receive a tax bill until the following January 1, and the new owner should request a copy.

Although the tax bill will bear the name of the assessed owner as of January 1, the new owner is responsible for all taxes once the sale of the property is finalized. The amount of tax owed by the old owner is determined at the time of closing and is typically deducted from the selling price. Once this deduction is made, the new owner must pay all bills as they become due in order to avoid collection actions, including foreclosure. 

The lawyers assisting each party should already have investigated any outstanding taxes and obtained a Municipal Lien Certificate. Once the agreement is made, the new owner is obligated to pay any outstanding taxes due on the property.

If you receive a bill within 6 weeks of the sale, please forward it to the new owner immediately as it is his/her responsibility to make payment.

If your check is returned due to insufficient funds, absence of signature, or technical error, the account will have the same status as an unpaid account. You will receive a notice from the Collector of Taxes notifying you of the insufficient funds. As provided by law, a penalty charge of $25 or 1% of the amount of the check (whichever is greater) will be assessed to your tax account for each bad check received, in addition to any other fees and interest applicable. You will be required to make payment by cash or certified check within 10 days.

If you or your mortgage company have paid the tax bill, and for some reason you receive a demand notice for non-payment of the tax due, you must provide proof of payment. Please call us at 978-568-9610 for the requirements.

A refund check is issued to a taxpayer who has a credit balance on their bill, provided that they supply the Town of Hudson with the proper information and they have no other outstanding taxes due and payable.

If the credit was caused by abatement, the refund will automatically be issued unless the property has changed hands during the fiscal year.

The refund will usually be returned to the record owner. If the property has been sold during the fiscal year to a new owner, the date of transfer (deed date) statement will determine who is eligible for the refund. If you have any questions, please email us.