Holliston, Massachusetts, takes senior property tax exemption applications from July 1, 2026 through April 1, 2027, but only the ones that arrive by Nov. 1 are counted on the bills mailed at the end of December. The Holliston Assessors’ page lists the fiscal 2027 amount for the elderly exemption, called Clause 41C, at $1,027. Other Massachusetts towns run the same exemption on their own calendars and amounts.
Is a Holliston homeowner who is 65 or older still holding a paper application? The actual third and fourth quarter bills are the ones mailed in December. Nov. 1 falls on a Sunday this year, which leaves a homeowner who has not filed with a short window to call the Assessors at (508) 429-0604.
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Why does Nov. 1 matter for the December bill?
Holliston’s page says applications “must be filed annually from July 1 to April 1 of the tax year.” To have the exemption reflected on the third and fourth quarter bill, which is mailed in December, an applicant must submit “no later than November 1.” The town’s fiscal 2027 exemption guide says a completed application received before Nov. 1, 2026 lets the exemption appear on the actual bills mailed at the end of December.
The same guide warns that the office cannot process incomplete applications and that exemptions must be applied for every fiscal year. Applications are accepted until April 1, 2027, and later submissions are not accepted. The Assessors’ office is at Holliston Town Hall, 703 Washington Street.
Who meets the Clause 41C tests in Holliston?
The applicant must be 65 or older on July 1, or be a joint owner with a spouse who is. The home must be owned and lived in on that date, and the applicant must have been continuously domiciled in Massachusetts for the 10 years before applying and have owned and lived in a Massachusetts home for five years, according to the town’s senior exemption page.
Gross receipts, counting the Social Security allowance, cannot exceed $26,147 for a single applicant or $39,221 for a married couple. The whole estate cannot exceed $40,000 for a single applicant or $55,000 for a married couple, and the value of the mortgage, a registered vehicle and household furniture is left out of that total. A homeowner over the income limit may qualify for a smaller exemption on the same application.
That smaller exemption is Clause 17D, which has no income requirement and applies to a person 70 or older with a whole estate of no more than $40,000. Holliston’s guide lists it at $359.45 and requires ten years of ownership and occupancy. The same guide lists Clause 41A, a tax deferral for people 65 and older that accrues 6 percent annual interest, is capped at 50 percent of assessed value and puts a town lien on the property, and Clause 37 for the blind at $898.63.
How does $1,027 compare with the $1,000 figure in other towns?
The state’s Department of Revenue guide describes Clause 41C as a $500 exemption that a town’s legislative body can raise to $1,000, with the eligible age set at 70 unless the town votes to lower it to 65. Holliston uses 65. That guide is dated November 2016, and each town now publishes its own current amounts and income limits.
Northampton’s fiscal 2026 sheet shows how a $1,000 version looks: age 65 on July 1, 2025, income limits of $30,203 for a single applicant and $45,307 for a married couple, asset limits of $42,559 and $58,519, five years of owning and living in the home, and applications due April 1. Those income and asset figures are higher than Holliston’s, even though the exemption amount is lower. Towns differ on every figure, so a Massachusetts homeowner outside Holliston should read the local assessor’s sheet for the amount and the date that gets the credit onto the December bill.
Is the application complete before the Nov. 1 cutoff?
A Massachusetts senior exemption has to be applied for again every fiscal year, and the date that matters changes by town. Holliston’s page makes the same point, since exemptions must be applied for every fiscal year.
“The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit” is a 64-page guide that includes an application log and renewal calendar, so each year’s filing date and town contact go in one place. Part 7, The Yearly Routine, is built around the filings that repeat each year.
Get the application log and renewal calendar in the Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
