The Plymouth MA property tax rate for fiscal year 2026 is $12.55 per $1,000 of assessed value, and it applies the same way to every class of property in town.1Plymouth, MA. Tax Rates A home assessed at $500,000 owes about $6,275 in base property tax before the Community Preservation surcharge or any exemptions. The average single-family home in Plymouth was assessed near $586,000 as of FY2025, which produces a bill of roughly $7,354 at the current rate.
Plymouth uses a single rate rather than the split-rate option some Massachusetts towns use to shift more of the burden onto commercial property. Homes, storefronts, industrial buildings, and taxable personal property all pay $12.55 per $1,000.
How the Rate Has Moved
The Select Board sets the rate each fall after the town budget is finalized. The $12.55 figure for FY2026 is actually lower than recent years:1Plymouth, MA. Tax Rates
- FY2026: $12.55
- FY2025: $12.69
- FY2024: $12.87
- FY2023: $13.71
- FY2022: $15.43
The rate has fallen steadily even as bills have generally climbed. That looks contradictory until you remember that the rate and the assessed value move in opposite directions. When property values rise, the town collects the same revenue at a lower rate per thousand, and your bill is the product of the two. A lower rate on a higher assessment can still mean a larger check.
Calculating Your Bill
Divide your assessed value by 1,000 and multiply by the rate. A $500,000 assessment produces $500 × $12.55 = $6,275 per year.1Plymouth, MA. Tax Rates That base number does not include the Community Preservation Act surcharge or any exemptions you qualify for. Your actual bill shows all those adjustments on one statement.
Plymouth assesses every property as of January 1 each year, based on what a willing buyer would pay a willing seller in the current market.2General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 38 – Fair Cash Valuation; Classification of Assessed Valuation; Taxable Valuation The Board of Assessors looks at recent sales of similar homes, then adjusts for square footage, lot size, age, condition, and location.
The Community Preservation Surcharge
Plymouth adopted the Community Preservation Act in 2002 and currently charges a 1.5% surcharge on top of the regular tax.3Plymouth, MA. Community Preservation Act (CPA) The money funds open space, historic preservation, affordable housing, and recreation.
Before the surcharge is calculated, $100,000 is subtracted from the assessed value of residential property. So a home assessed at $500,000 pays the surcharge on $400,000 of value, which works out to roughly $75 per year at the current rate.
Low-income residents can apply for a full exemption from the CPA surcharge, and seniors 60 and older qualify at higher income thresholds than younger homeowners. Anyone already receiving the elderly property tax exemption under Clause 41C is automatically exempt and does not have to file a separate CPA application. The annual deadline to apply for the CPA exemption is April 1.
Exemptions That Lower Your Bill
Massachusetts law gives qualifying Plymouth homeowners several exemptions. You can only receive one per year on the same property, and each requires that you own and occupy the home as your primary residence. Eligibility is determined as of July 1.4Mass.gov. Massachusetts General Laws c.59 ss 5 – Property; Exemptions
- Elderly residents under Clause 41C, subject to age, income, and asset limits set by the town.
- Surviving spouses and minor children of deceased property owners under Clause 17D.
- Legally blind residents under Clause 37A.
- Veterans under Clauses 22 through 22E, ranging from $400 under the base clause up to $2,500 under Clause 22D depending on the nature and severity of a service-connected disability.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 Section 5 – Property; Exemptions
Applications go to the Board of Assessors. Miss the filing deadline and you lose the exemption for the entire fiscal year, so mark the date.
When Bills Arrive and When to Pay
Plymouth bills quarterly. Payments are due August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1.6Town of Plymouth, MA. Bill Information The first two installments are preliminary, each set at one quarter of the previous year’s total tax, and the bills go out by July 1. The actual bills arrive by December 31 and cover the third and fourth quarters, adjusted to reflect the newly finalized rate and assessment.
You will not see the impact of a rate change or a reassessment until the February and May payments. If your assessment jumped, those two will run noticeably higher than the preliminary ones.
Plymouth takes online payments through Invoice Cloud on the town website.7Plymouth, MA. Online Payments You can also pay by mail or in person at the Treasurer/Collector’s office. Late payments are penalized at 14% annual interest, calculated from the day after the due date.8General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 Section 57 That rate is fixed by state law. There is no informal grace period.
If You Think Your Assessment Is Too High
The first step is an abatement application to Plymouth’s Board of Assessors. For a quarterly-billing town like Plymouth, the deadline is the due date of the first actual tax installment, February 1.9General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 59 You file on State Form 128, available from the assessors’ office or the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website.
The assessors have three months to respond. If they deny the application, or do not respond within three months (which counts as a denial), you have another three months to appeal to the state Appellate Tax Board. One rule trips people up: you must keep paying your taxes in full and on time through the entire process. Withhold payment while an appeal is pending and you lose your appeal rights.9General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 59
The strongest cases rely on concrete evidence. Recent sales of comparable properties below your assessment are the most persuasive. A professional appraisal typically runs $250 to $1,200 for a residential property and can be worth the cost when there is a meaningful gap between assessed and market value. File a new application each fiscal year. A prior year’s appeal does not carry forward.
Other Taxes to Expect
Two related bills come separately from your real estate taxes. Plymouth residents pay a motor vehicle excise tax of $25 per $1,000 of vehicle value, calculated against the manufacturer’s suggested retail price depreciated on a fixed state schedule, with its own due date and penalties.10Plymouth, MA. Motor Vehicle FAQs Businesses owe tax on tangible personal property (equipment, furniture, fixtures, inventory, machinery) at the same $12.55 rate as real estate, and must file a Form of List with the Board of Assessors by March 1 each year.1Plymouth, MA. Tax Rates Failing to file can lead the assessors to estimate your property value, and those estimates tend to run against you.