Quincy MA Property Tax: Rates, Exemptions, and Payment

Quincy, MA property tax is billed at $11.78 per $1,000 of assessed value for residential property and $23.53 per $1,000 for commercial property in fiscal year 2026.¹ To estimate your annual tax, divide your assessed value by 1,000 and multiply by the rate that applies to your property class. A home assessed at $600,000 owes $7,068 before any exemptions; a commercial building assessed at the same amount owes $14,118. Quincy uses a split rate to shift some of the burden from homeowners onto commercial and industrial owners, and it layers a residential exemption plus targeted programs on top for people who qualify.

How Your Bill Gets Built

The Quincy Assessors’ Office values every property as of January 1 each year at “full and fair cash value,” which is what the property would likely sell for in an open-market sale.² Assessors look at recent comparable sales, building permits, and neighborhood trends. That January 1 snapshot governs the entire fiscal year that starts the following July 1.

Once total citywide value is set, the City Council adopts a rate designed to raise the revenue the budget needs. Massachusetts law permits cities to classify property into residential, commercial, industrial, and personal property categories and apply different rates to each, which is why Quincy’s commercial rate is roughly double its residential rate.

Quarterly Billing Schedule

Quincy sends four bills a year. The first two quarters are preliminary bills, each set at about 25% of the prior year’s total tax. The third and fourth quarter bills are “actual” bills that use the new assessed value, the current year’s rate, and any exemptions, reconciled against what you already paid.³

Due dates are typically August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1. The February 1 bill matters most. It reflects any change in valuation or rate, so a jump in assessment lands there rather than being spread evenly, and it triggers the deadline to file an abatement.

The Residential Exemption

If Quincy is your principal residence, the residential exemption is the biggest lever on your bill. Massachusetts law lets a city exempt up to 35% of the average assessed value of all residential parcels, and that dollar amount is subtracted from your home’s taxable value before the rate is applied.⁴ The exact percentage is set each year by the mayor with City Council approval, so the dollar savings shift annually.

To qualify, the property must be your principal residence for income tax purposes and you must have occupied it on January 1 of the year preceding the fiscal year. Investment properties, second homes, and short-term rentals don’t qualify. Because the same fixed dollar amount comes off every qualifying property, the exemption is worth more in percentage terms on modestly priced homes than on expensive ones. If you believe you should have received it and didn’t, you can apply in writing to the Assessors’ Office on the state-approved form by the abatement deadline.

Exemptions for Seniors, Veterans, Surviving Spouses, and Blind Residents

Massachusetts law creates several targeted programs that the Quincy Assessors’ Office administers.⁵ Each has its own eligibility rules, and they stack on top of the residential exemption.

Senior Citizens Under Clause 41C

Clause 41C gives a $500 tax reduction (or $4,000 off taxable valuation, whichever saves more) to homeowners who turned 70 before the start of the fiscal year. You need ten years of Massachusetts residency and five years of ownership and occupancy of a home in the state. Income limits are $13,000 gross for a single filer and $15,000 for a married couple, though a Social Security minimum payment amount and ordinary business expenses can be subtracted before you hit that threshold. Total assets other than your home cannot exceed $28,000 single or $30,000 married.⁶

Those thresholds are low enough that seniors who feel financially stretched still may not qualify. Ask the Assessors’ Office whether Quincy has adopted any local-option provisions that raise the income ceilings.

Veterans Under Clause 22

Veterans with a VA service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher get a $400 tax reduction (or $2,000 off taxable valuation, whichever saves more). You must have been domiciled in Massachusetts for six months before entering service or have lived in the state for two consecutive years before filing. Purple Heart recipients qualify regardless of disability percentage, and spouses and unremarried surviving spouses of qualifying veterans are also covered.⁶ Once approved, you generally don’t re-prove disability each year unless your VA rating drops below 10%, but you’ll confirm continued occupancy.

Surviving Spouses and Minor Children Under Clause 17D

Clause 17D provides a $175 tax reduction (or $2,000 off taxable valuation, whichever saves more) to surviving spouses, minor children of a deceased parent, and residents 70 or older with at least five years of ownership and occupancy. Assets outside the home cannot exceed $40,000.⁶

Legally Blind Residents Under Clause 37A

Quincy offers a property tax exemption for legally blind residents under Clause 37A, with eligibility confirmed through certification from the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind.⁵ Contact the Assessors’ Office for current amounts and documentation.

All exemption applications go through the Assessors’ Office and generally must be filed by the third quarter bill’s due date. Bring supporting documents: VA disability letters, proof of age, income verification, or MCB certification, depending on which clause you claim.

How to Pay

You can pay online through the city’s payment portal by electronic check or credit card using the bill number on your quarterly statement. You can also mail a check to the Treasurer-Collector’s office or drop it in the secure box at Quincy City Hall. Online payments generate an immediate confirmation; mailed payments are confirmed once processed.

If your mortgage lender collects an escrow, it pays the tax on your behalf and reviews your escrow balance at least once a year. A significant jump in your Quincy assessment can create an escrow shortage that the lender either collects as a lump sum or spreads across the next 12 months. If you win an abatement or newly qualify for an exemption, tell your lender so future escrow overages don’t accumulate.

Challenging Your Assessment

If you believe your assessed value is too high or that it’s out of line with comparable properties, file State Tax Form 128, the Application for Abatement. The form is available from the Assessors’ Office and the city’s website.⁷

The deadline is the due date of the first actual bill for the fiscal year, which in Quincy is the February 1 third quarter bill.⁸ It cannot be waived or extended.⁷ Applications sent by U.S. Postal Service must be postmarked by the deadline. Applications delivered in person or by private courier must physically arrive at the Assessors’ Office by that date.⁹

The Board of Assessors has three months to act. If they grant the abatement, you’ll receive a written notice and a revised bill. If they deny it or fail to act within three months, the application is deemed denied by operation of law, and you can appeal to the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board within three months of the decision or deemed-denial date. Most residential taxpayers use the ATB’s informal procedure, which relaxes the rules of evidence and keeps costs lower than the formal track.

If You Fall Behind

Massachusetts charges 14% annual interest on delinquent property taxes, starting the day after the deadline, and the city cannot waive it. A missed payment leads to a formal demand, and if you don’t respond within 14 days, the city can enforce its tax lien.¹⁰

Enforcement begins with a “tax taking,” recorded at the Registry of Deeds, which gives the city a limited ownership interest called a tax title. Six to twelve months later, depending on circumstances, the city can file a foreclosure case in the Massachusetts Land Court. Abandoned properties or those worth less than the amount owed can go to Land Court immediately.¹⁰

You can redeem the property at any time before the Land Court enters a final foreclosure judgment by paying the tax, all interest, and any additional charges. The redemption interest rate is 8% on the original amount from the date of the taking.¹¹ Once judgment enters, redemption ends. You can ask the court to vacate within one year for extraordinary circumstances, but after that, reversal is nearly impossible without a due-process violation.¹⁰

Deducting Quincy Property Tax on Your Federal Return

If you itemize on Schedule A, property taxes levied for general public welfare are deductible in the year you actually pay them. Service charges for water, sewer, or trash on the same bill are not. The combined state and local tax (SALT) deduction is capped at $40,000 for most filers ($20,000 if married filing separately), with a modified adjusted gross income limitation that can reduce the cap further. That ceiling covers property, state income, and local taxes together.¹² The 2026 standard deduction is high enough that many households won’t come out ahead itemizing, so run the numbers both ways.

1
City of Quincy. Tax Rates
2
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 38 – Fair Cash Valuation; Classification of Assessed Valuation; Taxable Valuation
3
City of Quincy. Understanding Tax Bills
4
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 59 Section 5C – Exemptions for Residential Real Property in Cities or Towns Assessing at Full and Fair Cash Valuation
5
City of Quincy. Exemption Programs
6
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 Section 5 – Property Exemptions
7
City of Quincy. Massachusetts State Form – Real Estate Abatement Application
8
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 59 Section 59 – Abatement Applications
9
Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Property Tax Information
10
Mass.gov. Frequently Asked Questions About Tax Lien Foreclosure Cases in the Land Court
11
General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 60 Section 62 – Redemption
12
Internal Revenue Service. Topic No. 503, Deductible Taxes