Notice Regarding City Bills

announcing important tax information

An important message to Salem residents and business owners regarding your tax bill(s):

Under “An Act to Address Challenges Faced by Municipalities and State Authorities Resulting From COVID-19,” Chapter 53 of the Acts of 2020, the City of Salem has adopted local options to extend due dates for real and personal property tax payments and applications for exemptions and a waiver of interest on certain municipal tax and other bills paid by June 30, 2020. See below.

1. The due date of your real and personal property tax bill has been extended to June 1, 2020.  Although your bill states "May 1, 2020", June 1, 2020 is the new due date.  

2. The due date for applications for property tax exemptions has also been extended to June 1, 2020. This extension applies to applications for the exemptions listed in the third paragraph of G.L. c. 59, § 59, including:

  • Exemptions under clauses 17, 17C, 17C1/2 and 17D (seniors, surviving spouses, minor children of deceased parent);
  • 18 (financial hardship – activated military, age and infirmity);
  • 22, 22A, 22B, 22C, 22D, 22E, 22F and 22H (veterans, surviving spouses and surviving parents);
  • 37 and 37A (blind persons);
  • 41, 41B, 41C and 41C1/2 (seniors);
  • 42 and 43 (surviving spouse and minor children of firefighter/police officer killed in line of duty);
  • 52 (certain eligible seniors);
  • 53 (certain eligible properties with septic systems);
  • 56 (National Guard and reservists on active duty in foreign countries);
  • 59 for exemptions; § 5C for residential exemptions, § 5I for small commercial exemptions
  • 59, § 5 for deferrals, clauses 41A (seniors) and 18A (poverty or financial hardship due to change to active military).

3.  The City will waive interest and other penalty for late payment of any excise, tax, betterment assessment or apportionment thereof, water rate or annual sewer use or other charge added to a tax for any payments with a due date on or after March 10, 2020 where payment is made late but before June 30, 2020. This applies to late payments of bills that have a due date of March 10, 2020 or after, when such bills are paid late but paid on or before June 30. This waiver of interest does not apply to bills with due dates before March 10, 2020 or if the bill is not paid by June 30, 2020.

 Original Due DateExtension Due Date
Water/Sewer bills4/23/20206/1/2020*
Trash bills4/28/20206/1/2020*
Real Estate tax bills5/1/20206/1/2020*
Personal Property tax bills5/1/20206/1/2020*

* Although due on June 1, interest and late fees will NOT be assessed if paid on or before June 30, 2020.  

NOTE - If City offices are closed on the June 1, 2020 extended due date for tax payments or filing of exemption applications, the due dates for tax payments and applications for exemptions are not extended – they will be due on June 1, 2020 even if the municipal offices are closed. (See section 10(b) of the Act.)

Payments can be made as follows:

  1. Online:            www.salem.com/paybills
  2. By Mail:          City of Salem, Collector, 93 Washington Street, Room 4, Salem MA 01970
  3. Drop Off:        Box located in front of City Hall, 93 Washington Street

Please note:  All City offices are closed to the public due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, but we remain committed to providing the best service possible.

  • For any tax payment questions please contact: Collector's Office at 978-619-5621.  
  • For any abatement questions please contact: Assessors Office at 978-619-5608.
  • For any Water, Sewer, and Trash payment questions please contact: Engineering Department at 978-619-5674.