Property tax in Lexington, MA for fiscal year 2026 runs $12.31 per $1,000 of assessed value on residential parcels and $24.18 per $1,000 on commercial, industrial, and personal property.1Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Tax Rates To estimate your bill, divide your assessed value by 1,000 and multiply by the rate. A home assessed at $1,200,000 owes $14,772 before the community preservation surcharge or any exemptions.
Your assessment is the town’s estimate of “fair cash valuation,” the price a willing buyer would pay a willing seller, set as of January 1 each year with any improvements finished by June 30 folded in.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59, Section 38 – Fair Cash Valuation3Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Important Dates and Deadlines You can pull your current assessment from the town’s online database at gis.vgsi.com/lexingtonma or by calling the Assessor’s Office.4Vision Government Solutions. Lexington MA Property Assessment Database
When Bills Are Due
Lexington bills property tax in four quarterly installments on the state fiscal year, July 1 through June 30. The due dates:
- August 1: first-quarter preliminary bill
- November 1: second-quarter preliminary bill
- February 1: third-quarter actual bill
- May 1: fourth-quarter actual bill
When a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, payment is due the next business day.5Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Tax Collector / Treasurer
The August and November bills are estimates, generally the prior year’s tax plus up to 2.5 percent.3Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Important Dates and Deadlines The February and May bills apply the certified rate to your current assessment and subtract what you already paid. If your assessed value climbed, the back half of the year is where you feel it.
The Community Preservation Surcharge
On top of the base tax, Lexington adds a 3 percent Community Preservation Act surcharge that voters adopted in 2006. It funds open space, affordable housing, historic restoration, and recreation. The first $100,000 of residential value is exempt, and lower-income residents can qualify for a full exemption.6Town of Lexington. Town of Lexington 2025 Community Preservation Plan
Exemptions That Reduce Your Bill
Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59, Section 5 sets out the exemption categories Lexington administers. Eligibility is generally measured as of July 1 of the fiscal year, and you cannot stack multiple exemptions on the same property.7Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 Section 5 – Property Exemptions
Seniors 70 and Older (Clause 41C)
Homeowners age 70 or older can get a $2,000 reduction if they meet income and asset limits. For FY2026, single applicants need gross income under $35,003 and assets under $70,010. Married applicants can have up to $52,506 in income and $96,262 in assets. Your primary home, personal belongings, and vehicles do not count toward the asset test. A deduction for Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and government pension income can pull you back under the income limit: $5,980 for the worker and $2,990 for a spouse in FY2026.8Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Property Tax Relief Programs
Veterans With Service-Connected Disabilities
Veterans rated at 10 percent or higher disability by the Department of Veterans Affairs qualify for a $400 base exemption under Clause 22. Related clauses set higher amounts:
- Clause 22A ($750): loss or loss of use of one hand, foot, or eye, or recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, or Air Force Cross
- Clause 22B ($1,250): loss or loss of use of both hands, both feet, one hand and one foot, or both eyes
- Clause 22C ($1,500): total and permanent disability with specially adapted housing assistance
- Clause 22E ($1,000): 100 percent service-connected disability
- Clause 22F (full exemption): paraplegic veterans or those with 100 percent service-connected blindness
These are base amounts set by state law; towns can vote to raise them locally.
Blind Residents and Surviving Spouses
Legally blind residents can apply under Clause 37 with medical certification. Surviving spouses and minors with limited financial resources may qualify under Clause 17D. Both require that you own and occupy the property as your primary residence as of July 1.
Deferral for Seniors 65 and Older (Clause 41A)
If you are 65 or older and cannot manage the bill, Clause 41A lets you defer all or part of your property tax and repay it later, typically when the home is sold or transferred. You must be at least 65 as of July 1, with household gross income from the prior calendar year below the state-set limit (historically tied to the senior circuit breaker income threshold).9Mass.gov. Ask DLS – Property Tax Deferrals for Qualifying Seniors
Deferred taxes accrue 8 percent annual interest unless the town votes a lower rate.9Mass.gov. Ask DLS – Property Tax Deferrals for Qualifying Seniors If you sell the home or pass away before repayment, the whole balance comes due at once at the higher tax-title interest rate. The program keeps you in the house, at the cost of the equity you or your heirs eventually see. Run the numbers before signing on.
Challenging an Assessment You Think Is Too High
If your assessment looks inflated, file an abatement application on State Tax Form 128, available from the Assessor’s Office or the town website. In Lexington’s quarterly system the deadline is February 1, the due date of the first actual bill.10Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Property Tax Information Miss it and you lose your appeal rights for the entire fiscal year.
Your case should rest on comparable properties: recent sales of similar homes at prices below your assessment, or similar homes on the tax rolls at lower assessments. Match on lot size, square footage, condition, and location. Include your own opinion of value on the form.
The Board of Assessors has three calendar months to act. If it does not rule in that window, your application is deemed denied and the board loses authority to act on it. You then have three additional months from that denial to appeal to the state Appellate Tax Board.11General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 64 – Abatement Proceedings Filing an abatement does not pause your obligation to pay. Keep paying on schedule while the application is pending, or you can forfeit the appeal.10Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Property Tax Information Win, and you receive a credit on your next bill or a refund.
What Late Payment Costs
Overdue property taxes in Massachusetts accrue 14 percent annual interest from the original due date.12General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 57 – Collection of Taxes The rate is fixed by statute. Miss a third or fourth quarter payment and the town issues a demand notice with a small added fee, giving you 14 days to pay.
If the debt still sits, the town can record an instrument of taking at the Registry of Deeds, creating a tax title. Six to twelve months later, it can file a foreclosure case in Land Court. You keep the right to redeem by paying everything owed until the court enters judgment. After judgment, redemption is gone and the property transfers permanently.13Mass.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About Tax Lien Foreclosure Cases in the Land Court Reaching that point takes years, but 14 percent interest keeps working the whole time.
Paying the Bill
Lexington runs two online payment portals, UniPay Gold and Invoice Cloud. E-checks from a checking or savings account cost a flat $0.50. Credit cards carry a 2.99 percent convenience fee with a $4.95 minimum.14Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. Online Bill Payment On a $3,700 quarterly bill, the credit card fee runs about $110, so e-check is usually the cheaper route. You can also mail a check to the collector’s lockbox or use the drop box at Town Hall.
With a mortgage, your lender likely pays taxes from an escrow account and adjusts your monthly payment as assessments change. Even so, check your assessment yourself. The lender pays whatever the town bills, and an inflated valuation means you are overpaying through escrow until you file an abatement.
Federal Deduction and the SALT Cap
Real estate taxes paid to Lexington are deductible on your federal return if you itemize. For the 2026 tax year, the combined state and local tax deduction (property, income, and sales combined) is capped at $40,400 for most filers and $20,200 for married filing separately.15Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 164 – Taxes Lexington property taxes alone often exceed $14,000, and Massachusetts income tax adds several thousand more, so many homeowners here hit the ceiling. Itemizing still pays for most, but the cap limits the benefit compared with pre-2018 rules that allowed the full property tax as a deduction.