Co-op Housing Exemption
If you are a shareholder in a housing cooperative — or co-op — and your unit is your primary residence, your co-op may qualify for this exemption.
The co-op needs to file the exemption application. Shareholders cannot individually apply for this exemption.
If, as a shareholder in a co-op who occupies your unit as your primary residence, you believe that you may qualify for this exemption, then you are encouraged to speak with your co-op management, representatives, or board of trustees to ensure that you are receiving the exemption. Please note: Only certain co-ops as defined by Massachusetts General Law will qualify for the Co-op Housing Exemption.
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Still have questions? Contact:
Assessing
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1 City Hall Square
Room 301Boston, MA 02201-2011
About the Exemption
What to keep in mind
To get the exemption in the current fiscal year a co-op’s management, representative, or board of trustees needs to file an application by October 31. To qualify as a shareholder:
- your co-op housing unit needs to be your primary residence, and
- you also need to have lived there on January 1 before the current fiscal year. For example, to be eligible for Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024), you need to have lived in the unit as your primary residence on January 1, 2023.
How the exemption is distributed
The tax bill deduction for the co-op corporation equals the total amount of all exemptions given to qualifying units.
The co-op exemption can equal up to 30 percent of the average value of the residential units in a qualified co-op, but the amount can never be more than the Residential Exemption for homeowners in Boston. For Fiscal Year 2023, the amount was $3,456.50.
What you need when you apply
To process your application, the Assessing Department will need information on the corporation itself as well as individual shareholders.
- Name of cooperative corporation
- When was your organization was incorporated
- What chapter was your organization incorporated under
- Total number of shares of your corporation
- Number of buildings controlled by your cooperative corporation
- Unit address, name, number of share, date of share acquisition, and a copy of proprietary lease of all involved parties that occupy their unit as a primary residence
Apply for a Co-op Housing Exemption
Only a co-op representative can file an exemption application for shareholders. To get the exemption in the current fiscal year, the co-op needs to file an application by October 31.
Get an Application
Please contact Sylvia Singleton in the Assessing Department at 617-635-4549 to get a Cooperative Housing Exemption application.
Submit Your Application
Bring your completed application and copies of any supporting documents to the Assessing Department at City Hall, or mail the completed application and supporting documents to:
Assessing Department, Room 3011 City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201
Exemption Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked QuestionsThe Taxpayer Referral and Assistance Center has three months from the date you filed your application to make a decision. Just because you file an application, that doesn’t mean you can postpone paying your taxes. You still need to pay your property taxes each quarter.
If your exemption application is approved, the Collector Treasurer will credit you later in the fiscal year.
A cooperative corporation that is aggrieved by the denial of the exemption may file an appeal with the appellate tax board within 60 days of decision. The board is located at:
100 CAMBRIDGE STREET, 2ND FLOOR, SUITE 200BOSTON, MA 02114
PHONE: 617-727-3100
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Still have questions? Contact:
Assessing
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1 City Hall Square
Room 301Boston, MA 02201-2011
