Frequently Asked Questions

Real estate taxes over $100.00 are due in two installments: July 1st and
January 1st. One statement will be mailed in late June which will include both
payment stubs for each installment. There will no longer be an additional
mailing for the January bill. Those interested can sign up for a reminder
email here.  Payment must be made during these months to avoid interest
charges. Taxes unpaid by the first of the next month shall become
delinquent and will immediately be subject to 3% interest from the due
date. From then on, additional interest of 1 1/2 % per month or a fraction of
a month (18% annually) will be added to the 3%. The minimum interest
charge is $2.00. This is subject to change with the latest public acts and
state statute, 12-146.

Each mortgage lender requests the tax bills that they are interested in
paying each year. This would indicate that we did not get a request from
your bank for your bill. Please contact your mortgage holder and get the
exact address (and possibly the person’s name) that this should be sent to and
forward it to them for payment.

Address changes regarding your real estate bill should be directed to the
Assessor’s office. Questions involving assessments, exemptions, or elderly
benefits should also be directed there.

Payments can be made online at watertownct.org, by mail, or in person at the Tax office. There is also a convenient drop slot located on the building on the lower level of the Town Hall. Cash and checks are accepted at the office. 

Click here to pay with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check as well as

Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. For transactions, there will be a non-refundable convenience fee assessed by Invoice Cloud of 2.99% of the transaction amount or a minimum of $3.95. E-checks will be charged a .95 flat fee. You will be asked to accept the fee prior to the transaction being processed.

If your property has been sold and you received a bill, please forward the bill to the new owner or contact the tax office.

All businesses in operation on October 1st, are required to file a declaration with the Assessor’s office by October 31st. It is imperative that a declaration be filed for an accurate assessment to be taxed. Based on that declaration, a tax bill is generated. If you are no longer in business, it is important to notify the Assessor promptly.

Personal property bills are paid in one installment, generally in July, provided a budget is in place. In the event a budget is not decided upon, bills are sent out at a later date.

Per Town Ordinance, after 60 days, all outstanding personal property accounts are

turned over for collection and a UCC lien is filed with the Secretary of the State.

Yes, Personal Property bills are not pro-rated. This entire bill is due and payable. 

Yes, CLICK HERE to pay with your credit card or debit card. There will be a convenience fee assessed for this service. You will be asked to accept the fee prior to the transaction being processed.

Any vehicle that is registered in the Town of Watertown according to the Department of Motor Vehicle on October 1st, will generate a tax bill the following July. That bill will represent a full 12 months of ownership from October through September 30th.

If a vehicle was disposed of, sold, destroyed, or stolen during that 12-month period a proration may be available. Proper documentation will have to be furnished to the Assessors’ office for review. If the plates were transferred to another vehicle during that time period, the original bill needs to be paid in full and then the following January a motor vehicle supplemental bill will be generated. This bill will show a credit for the payment you made on the first vehicle.

These bills are for vehicles that were registered at the motor vehicle department after October 1st but before September 30th of the following year. Motor Vehicle Supplemental bills are sent out at the end of December and are due January 1st, you have up and including February 1st to pay without penalty.

This bill represents ownership from the time you registered with the DMV to September 30th. 

If a motor vehicle bill is not paid within the 30-day grace period, the name (s) on the registration will be reported delinquent to the DMV and all registrations will be denied until payment is made in full and a release is issued by the tax office. If a release is needed immediately, cash is the required form of payment. All other forms of payment have a waiting period before the release is given.

First, check to see if you cancelled the registration before OR after the period the bill covers. If it was before the September 30th date, did you give a copy of the plate receipt that you received from the DMV to the Town Assessor? If you already have given a copy to the assessor this may be an adjusted bill already, please feel free to e-mail us to verify if it has been. If you haven't given a copy to the assessor, please do so and the Assessor may pro-rate the assessment and the tax office will send you an adjusted bill. If you would like to fax this information, fax to 860-274-8130, Attn: Assessor's Office, or email to vicenzi@watertownct.org.

If you lived in Watertown on October 1st, you owe the tax to Watertown. If you moved before, you must produce proof of your new residency. If you purchased a home - a copy of your field card from your town's assessor's office, if you are renting - a copy of your lease with the date the lease begins or a copy of a utility bill dated prior to October 1st. Please send your proof to Watertown Assessor's Office, 61 Echo Lake Road Watertown, CT 06795. All address changes for motor vehicle accounts need to be made with DMV.

To possibly get an adjustment to this bill, please send the Assessor's office a copy of the registration(s) in your current state for each vehicle. If you registered in the new state after October 1st, there will be an amount remaining to pay. After the assessor makes any necessary changes we will send an adjusted bill out to you.

No, you have 30 days to pay all bills from the due date. This should allow you enough time to get the necessary documents to the assessor and be notified of any changes made to the amount(s) due.

Maybe you did not update your address with the DMV or it was never changed at the post office. The law states, G.S. Section 12-130, "failure to receive a bill does not invalidate the tax nor the interest." 

Yes, CLICK HERE to pay any motor vehicle taxes using your credit card or debit card. There will be a convenience fee assessed for this service.

Any questions involving assessments, exemptions, or prorations, please direct to the Assessor’s office directly at 860.945.5235.

Interest of 1.5% per month from the due date will be charged or minimum interest of $2.00. An administrative fee of $5.00 per vehicle will also be charged as a result of reporting the delinquency to the DMV. 

Accounts will be turned over to a marshal/constable or collection agency to collect and fees will be incurred. Partial payments should be arranged before that happens.