Abatement Information

Motor Vehicle Excise Abatement

Massachusetts law requires that you pay a tax on registered motor vehicles or trailers. Motor vehicles include motorcycles, cars, buses, motor homes, off-road vehicles, and trucks. 

You may be entitled to receive an abatement of your motor vehicle excise tax if you submit all of the necessary documentation for the particular situation/reason that pertains to you. Please complete the Motor Vehicle Abatement Form and attach what is required for each situation:

• Vehicle sold or traded. Copies you must provide: bill of sale and plate return receipt from Registry of Motor Vehicle (RMW) or new registration form if plate transferred to another vehicle.
• Vehicle stolen or total loss. Copies you must provide: police report or insurance report and plate return receipt, C-19 Form (affidavit of lost or stolen plate from RMW), or new registration form.
• Vehicle repossessed. Copies you must provide: notice from lienholder and plate return receipt, C-19 form, or new registration form.
• Vehicle junked. Copies you must provide: receipt from junk yard and plate return receipt, C-19 form, or new registration form.
• Vehicle returned (lemon law). Copies you must provide: letter from dealer certifying return and plate return receipt or new registration form.
• Moved out of state. Copies you must provide: date of move and registration from new state or country and plate return receipt from Massachusetts registry of motor vehicle (RMW)

Exemptions

Exemptions include: charitable organizations, POWs (prisoner of war), disabled veterans (degrees of disability required), disabled persons (degrees of disability required), and non-domiciliary service persons. You must provide relevant documentation establishing qualifications.

Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Bill - Massachusetts General Law (MGL) Chapter 60A

The tax rate is $25 per thousand dollar of value. The tax year cycle is from January 1 to December 31. Valuation is based on a percentage of the factory list price new, established by the manufacturer for the year of manufacture as follows:

• 50% - In the year preceding the designated year of manufacture    
• 90% - In the year of manufacture
• 60% - In the 2nd year
• 40% - In the 3rd year
• 25% - In the 4th year
• 10% - In the 5th and succeeding years

All Motor Vehicle Excise Tax Bill is due in full on or before the 30th day after issuance. No bill may be abated to less than $5 and payment may not be abated to less than $5.

Boat Excise Abatement

The boat excise is imposed for the privilege of using the waterways of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. If you own a boat and it is habitually situated, moored, or docked in Chatham you need to pay annual taxes known as Boat Excise. This is in addition to any Mooring or Waterway fees by the Town of Chatham, etc. We obtain information from multiple sources when producing the Boat Excise Bills. Boat Excise Tax runs from the Fiscal Year of July 1 to June 30. Bills are usually sent out in December or January of the fiscal year.

To change/cancel your boat registration you have to do that with the Massachusetts Boat and Recreation Vehicle Registration Office. If you sold your boat please complete bill of sale and return to our office.

You may be entitled to receive an abatement of all or a portion of your boat excise tax if you submit all of the necessary documentation for the particular situation/reason that pertains to you. Please complete the application for boat abatement form and attach what is required for each situation:

• Boat traded, sold, stolen, or destroyed during the year it was taxed and the registration was canceled. Copies you must provide: bill of sale and complete the Massachusetts environmental police status change form.
• Boat moored in another ma city/town and paid excise tax to that city/town.  Copies you must provide: proof of excise payment and complete the Massachusetts environmental police status change form (if necessary to update the mooring city/town).
• Moved to another state, registered boat in that state, and surrender or do not renew your registration in ma. Copies you must provide: registration in that state and complete the Massachusetts environmental police status change form.
• Boat was junked. Copies you must provide: receipt from junkyard and complete the Massachusetts environmental police status change form. 

No bill may be abated to less than $5 and payment may not be abated to less than $5.

State Tax Form

All Boat Owners must complete and return the State Tax Form 2BE-1 (PDF) by August 1st annually with the Assessing Office. Notice of this was included in the 2018 Fiscal Year Boat Excise bills mailed in February 2018. View the 2018 Boat Excise State Form 2BE-1 (PDF).

Some Commercial Vessels are Exempt from Taxation. Please contact the Assessors Office for more information. The first step to an Abatement for Boat Excise as a Commercial Fisherman is filing the State Tax Form 2BE-1 along with a copy of your Commercial Fishing License and your most recent Tax return with the Assessing Department indicating Commercial Fishing as your primary occupation and Massachusetts incorporation documents.

Boat Excise Valuation Schedule 

Vessels are taxed according to the following schedule based on Age and Length. Taxes are $10.00 per thousand of valuation. 

Boat Excise Valuation Schedule: Taxes are $10.00 per thousand of valuation.