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How to pay your motor vehicle excise tax

Last updated:

You have three options to pay your motor vehicle excise tax:

Step
1

Get your bill in the mail before submitting online

Residents who own motor vehicles have to pay taxes based on the value of their vehicles each year. You pay an excise instead of a personal property tax. If your vehicle isn't registered, you’ll have to pay personal property taxes on it.

We send you a bill in the mail. You need to pay the bill within 30 days of the date we issued the bill. Payments are considered made when received by the Collector.

The state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles determines the value of motor vehicles each year based on the list price and age of the vehicle. We use that information to figure out your excise tax.

You are taxed at a rate of $25 per thousand dollars of your car’s value. If you registered your car after January 31, we tax you from the month that you registered your car until the end of the year. For example:

  • if you register your car on April 20, you will be taxed for nine months of the year, from April 1 until December 31.

For more information, we created a page all about motor vehicle and boat taxes.

Step
2

Pay your bill online

You can pay your excise tax through our online payment system. You need to enter your last name and license plate number to find your bill.

Go to our online system

Step
1

Get your bill in the mail before calling

Residents who own motor vehicles have to pay taxes based on the value of their vehicles each year. You pay an excise instead of a personal property tax. If your vehicle isn't registered, you’ll have to pay personal property taxes on it.

We send you a bill in the mail. You need to pay the bill within 30 days of the date we issued the bill. Payments are considered made when received by the Collector.

The state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles determines the value of motor vehicles each year based on the list price and age of the vehicle. We use that information to figure out your excise tax.

You are taxed at a rate of $25 per thousand dollars of your car’s value. If you registered your car after January 31, we tax you from the month that you registered your car until the end of the year. For example:

  • if you register your car on April 20, you will be taxed for nine months of the year, from April 1 until December 31.

For more information, we created a page all about motor vehicle and boat taxes.

Step
2

Call the City

Please note:

You will need your bill number to pay by phone. It can be found on your bill next to the ward and parcel numbers.  If the bill number is less than 6 digits, you will need to add leading zeros.

You can pay over the phone using an interactive voice response operator by calling 855-731-9898. We accept payments made using a credit or debit card, or a checking account. Our pay-by-phone system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Step
1

Get your bill in the mail

Residents who own motor vehicles have to pay taxes based on the value of their vehicles each year. You pay an excise instead of a personal property tax. If your vehicle isn't registered, you’ll have to pay personal property taxes on it.

We send you a bill in the mail. You need to pay the bill within 30 days of the date we issued the bill. Payments are considered made when received by the Collector.

The state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles determines the value of motor vehicles each year based on the list price and age of the vehicle. We use that information to figure out your excise tax.

You are taxed at a rate of $25 per thousand dollars of your car’s value. If you registered your car after January 31, we tax you from the month that you registered your car until the end of the year. For example:

  • if you register your car on April 20, you will be taxed for nine months of the year, from April 1 until December 31.

For more information, we created a page all about motor vehicle and boat taxes.

Step
2

Mail us your payment

You can pay with a credit card, debit card, check or money order made payable to the City of Boston. Please remember to cut off the bottom part of your bill and send that with your payment.

Please mail the bottom part of your bill and payment to:

City of Boston
P.O. Box 55809
Boston, MA 02205
Step
1

Get your bill in the mail before visiting City Hall

Residents who own motor vehicles have to pay taxes based on the value of their vehicles each year. You pay an excise instead of a personal property tax. If your vehicle isn't registered, you’ll have to pay personal property taxes on it.

We send you a bill in the mail. You need to pay the bill within 30 days of the date we issued the bill. Payments are considered made when received by the Collector.

The state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles determines the value of motor vehicles each year based on the list price and age of the vehicle. We use that information to figure out your excise tax.

You are taxed at a rate of $25 per thousand dollars of your car’s value. If you registered your car after January 31, we tax you from the month that you registered your car until the end of the year. For example:

  • if you register your car on April 20, you will be taxed for nine months of the year, from April 1 until December 31.

For more information, we created a page all about motor vehicle and boat taxes.

Step
2

Get your payment together

At City Hall, we accept cash, credit cards, pinless debit cards, and checks or money orders made payable to the City of Boston.

If you use a credit card or pinless debit card, there is a non-refundable service fee of 2.5% of the total payment, with a $1 minimum. This fee is paid to the card processor and not kept by the City.

PLEASE NOTE:

If your debit card requires you to enter your pin to process a payment, you CANNOT use it to pay your fee.

Step
3

Pay your bill at Boston City Hall

Please bring your payment and bill to:

1 City Hall Square - Collector’s Office
Mezzanine Level, Window 10, 11, 12
Boston, MA 02201
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Abatements and exemptions

An abatement is a reduction in your excise taxes. You can file a motor vehicle excise abatement form for the following reasons:

  • if you believe your vehicle’s value is incorrect
  • if you canceled your registration in the year you were taxed
  • if your vehicle was traded, stolen, or sold during the year it was taxed and you had canceled your registration, or
  • if you moved to another state, registered your vehicle in the new state, and canceled your Massachusetts registration.

State law allows tax exemptions for vehicles owned by certain disabled people and veterans, former prisoners of war and their surviving spouses, and charitable organizations.

To find out if you qualify, call the Taxpayer Referral and Assistance Center at 617-635-4287.

how to file an excise tax abatement

  • Need to Know:
    Want to VIEW BILLs?

    You can search our motor vehicle tax payment website to see previous invoices.

    VIEW YOUR BILL

    PAY YOUR BILL ON TIME

    If you don’t make your payment within 30 days of the date the City issued the excise tax, interest and fees are added to your bill. Learn more about late payments and motor vehicle tax.

    Have questions about your bill for the current fiscal year? Call the Taxpayer Referral and Assistance Center at 617-635-4287. For bills in previous years, please call the Collector’s Office at 617-635-4131.

  • Contact:
    Tax Collection
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