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1. What is Excise tax?

Chapter 60A of the Massachusetts General Law (MGL) imposes an excise tax for registering a motor vehicle in Massachusetts. If you have a Massachusetts license plate on your car (or in your possession) you must pay Excise tax. Excise tax is an annual tax, based on the value of the car on which the plate is registered. Most Excise tax bills are sent out in February and due in March.

Excise tax information originates from the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). The address that the license plate was registered to on January 1 determines where the tax bill for that year will be mailed. If you move on January 2, the bill will still go to the January 1 address. Failure to receive a bill does not excuse you from the tax or interest/fees that accrue on outstanding tax bills. Be sure to submit a forwarding address to the US Postal Service so that you receive your bill. Contact the Treasurer/Collector if you do not receive a bill. For questions about valuation, contact Assessing.

If you surrender your license plate to the RMV or your insurance company, get a receipt from the RMV. You are billed Excise tax as long as the license plate is in your possession (not in the possession of the RMV). If you move to another town or state, or if the vehicle is sold, traded, totaled, or stolen, contact Assessing for abatement information. Assessing’s abatement form is located on the Assessor’s webpage.

2. What if I sold my car but received an Excise Tax Bill?

Pay the bill and contact Assessing. If an abatement is granted by Assessing, you will receive a refund of any tax overpaid. You will be responsible for paying fees and interest charges that accrue on unpaid bills even if Assessing grants an abatement on a portion of the tax.

3. I transferred my license plate to another car and received another Excise bill.

Pay the bill and contact Assessing. If an abatement is granted by Assessing, you will receive a refund of any tax overpaid. You will be responsible for paying fees and interest charges that accrue on unpaid bills even if Assessing grants an abatement on a portion of the tax.

4. I received an Excise tax bill but no longer live in Brookline.

Pay the bill and contact Assessing. If an abatement is granted by Assessing, you will receive a refund of any tax overpaid. You will be responsible for paying fees and interest charges that accrue on unpaid bills even if Assessing grants an abatement on a portion of the tax.

5. What if I do not receive a bill?

Payment of motor vehicle excise is due 30 days from the date the excise bill is issued. According to Chapter 60A, section 2 of the MGL, “Failure to receive notice shall not affect the validity of the excise.” A person who does not receive a bill is still liable for the excise plus any fees and interest charges accrued. Contact the Treasurer/Collector to have a duplicate bill mailed to you.

6. Where do I mail my Excise Tax Bill?

Payments with a remit slip (bottom portion of the bill):
Town of Brookline
P.O. Box 470568

Brookline, MA 02447-0568

You must include the bottom portion of the bill so that your account is credited correctly by our bank’s lockbox payment service.

Payments without a remit slip (bottom portion of the bill) should be mailed to our office:
Town of Brookline
Treasurer/Collector’s Office
333 Washington Street, Room 101A
Brookline, MA 02445

7. Can I pay my Excise Bill online?

Yes, taxes may be paid online on our webpage. Do not use your bank’s online bill-pay system.

A non-refundable convenience fee will be charged by Invoice Cloud for their role in facilitating your online payment. The Town of Brookline receives no portion of this fee.

• The fee for using credit cards is 2.95% with a minimum charge of $1.00.
• The fee for using electronic checks is $0.40.

 The convenience fee will appear on the payment page before you submit your payment for processing. It will also appear as a separate charge from the bill amount on your credit card or bank statement.

8. Can I pay my Excise Bill over the phone?

Yes, you can call the 24-hour payment line at 844-234-3779.

9. What happens if I don’t pay the bill?

If an excise bill is not paid within 30 days from the issue date, the Treasurer/Collector will send a demand, with a fee for $5.00. In addition, interest will accrue on the overdue bill at an annual rate of 12% from the day after the due date.

If the demand is not answered within 14 days, the Treasurer/Collector may issue a warrant to the Deputy Tax Collector which carries a $10.00 fee.

The Deputy Tax Collector will issue a warrant notice at a cost of $12.00. If there is still no response, a final warrant will be delivered to the taxpayer at their residence or workplace, at a fee of $17.00.

If no payment is made, the taxpayer’s vehicle registration and operator’s license will be “marked” for nonrenewal at the RMV.

10. What if my check is returned?

If your check bounces, you will be responsible for a fee of $25.00 or 1% of the check amount (whichever is higher) in addition to the amount of the check that is returned, plus any accrued interest and fees.

11. What if my payment was not credited to my account?

If you paid with your bank’s online banking and your payment is not credited to your account within two weeks, a written request for research must be accompanied by a copy of the canceled check, both front and back. Your online transaction with your bank produces a paper check without the remit portion of the tax bill. The paper check is posted manually to the “bill number” you provided in the “account” field. Fax, mail or e-mail us the copy. Fax: (617) 730-2305, Address: 333 Washington Street, Room 101A, Brookline, MA 02445, or Email: [email protected].

In the future, DO NOT use your bank’s online banking system to pay Town bills. Pay on the Treasurer/Collector’s webpage.

If you paid by check, a copy of the cancelled check must be provided along with a letter of request that we research your misapplied payment. Fax, mail or e-mail us the cancelled check copy.

If you paid by cash, the original receipt (copies not accepted) from your cash transaction must be provided along with a letter of request that we research your misapplied payment. It is best not to mail the original receipt so it does not get lost in the mail.

If you paid via the Treasurer/Collector’s webpage, please provide a copy of the email receipt issued as a result of the online transaction. Occasionally a customer will enter the incorrect bill number and pay someone else’s bill.

If charges have been incurred they will be reviewed on a case by case basis.