Massachusetts · 2026
Massachusetts property tax exemptions
✓ Verified August 2026 against official county pages — 3 sources linked below.
Exemptions lower the value your taxes are figured on — for most homeowners they're the easiest money on this page. Nearly every one has a filing date, though, and missing it usually costs you a year. The statewide programs and their deadlines are below; many counties and cities layer their own versions on top.
| Exemption | Deadline to file | What it's worth |
|---|---|---|
| Senior exemptions (Clause 41C and kin) | Apply with your assessors (commonly by April 1 or 3 months after the actual bill) | Statutory exemptions for homeowners 65+/70+ under local income and asset limits — amounts and clauses vary by community adoption |
| Residential exemption (local option) | Application deadlines set locally | Boston, Cambridge, Somerville and some other communities exempt a slice of owner-occupied value — a big saver where adopted |
| Veterans exemptions (Clause 22 series) | Apply with your assessors | From $400 up to full exemptions depending on disability level and circumstances |
| Senior Circuit Breaker (state income tax credit) | Claimed on the state income tax return | A refundable state income-tax credit for homeowners/renters 65+ whose housing costs outrun the income thresholds |
65 or older?
Start with the Senior exemptions (Clause 41C and kin) — Statutory exemptions for homeowners 65+/70+ under local income and asset limits — amounts and clauses vary by community adoption. Deadline: Apply with your assessors (commonly by April 1 or 3 months after the actual bill).
Comparing states? Every state's senior program is in the senior property tax exemptions by state table.
How to file
Senior exemptions (Clause 41C and kin): Annual application with the Board of Assessors with income/asset documentation.
Residential exemption (local option): Apply through your city's assessing department; owner-occupancy as of January 1 controls.
Veterans exemptions (Clause 22 series): File with discharge and VA documentation.
Senior Circuit Breaker (state income tax credit): File Schedule CB with your Massachusetts return.
Amounts and dates above are the statewide baseline — where counties or cities run their own versions, the local deadline and paperwork can differ. Confirm with your county assessor before relying on a date.
Exempted and still think the bill is high? The next lever is the value itself: how to abatement in Massachusetts.
Common questions
- Does Massachusetts have a senior property tax exemption?
- Yes — Senior exemptions (Clause 41C and kin). Statutory exemptions for homeowners 65+/70+ under local income and asset limits — amounts and clauses vary by community adoption. Deadline: Apply with your assessors (commonly by April 1 or 3 months after the actual bill).
- Do Massachusetts exemptions apply automatically?
- Most don't — nearly every program starts with an application, and some must be renewed. Missing the filing window usually means waiting a year, so if you live in the home you own, check what you've claimed before anything else. Confirm details with your county assessor.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from an official page. Check them yourself:
- City of Worcester — Real Estate Tax — checked 2026-08-12
- Mass.gov — Proposition 2½ and Tax Rate Process — checked 2026-08-12
- Secretary of the Commonwealth — property tax abatement — checked 2026-08-12