Property TaxesTax Bills:
Property Tax bills are mailed from the Town Clerk's office during the summer.
Due Date:
All taxes are due annually on the last Friday of October, no later than 4:30 PM.
Payments:
Property Taxes must be paid by cash or check made out to "Town of West Windsor" - West Windsor does not accept direct debit, debit card or credit card payments.
Property Tax Adjustment Claims
For more information about an income-based adjustment to your Vermont property tax payment, please visit the VT Tax Department's website Home | Department of Taxes (vermont.gov) or call (802) 828-2865 from 7:45 AM until 4:30 PM, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday.
Veterans Exemption
In West Windsor, the first $40,000 of appraised value of the established residence of a qualifying veteran, his or her surviving spouse or child is exempt if:
a. The residence is owned in fee simple by one or jointly by a combination of them, and,
b. A written application for the exemption is filed before May 1 of each year, and
c. A written statement has been sent by the Veteran's Administration showing that the required compensation or pension is being paid.
Address changes:
If you move or your tax bill has an incorrect address, it is your responsibility to notify the Town Clerk.
Penalty & Interest:
Penalties and interest are charged if tax payments are not received by 4:30 PM on the last Friday of October. Interest is posted on the first of each month thereafter. If delinquent taxes are not paid in a timely manner, the Delinquent Tax Collector may initiate tax sale proceedings.
Grievances:
Property owners may grieve the assessed value of their property by submitting a written notice of appeal to the Board of Listers on or before the date that grievance hearings are held. Grievance hearings are held sometime after April 1st. Call the Town Office for the specific date. If your property has been improved (with an addition, for example) or if the town has conducted a town-wide reappraisal, you will receive a “change of appraisal” notice. The date for grievance hearings will be specified in the change of appraisal notice. Please note that you may grieve your assessment even if you do not receive a change of appraisal notice. Mail your notice of appeal to: Board of Listers; Town of West Windsor; P.O. Box 6; Brownsville, VT 05037 or fax it to (802) 484-3518. The written notice of appeal should include the name, mailing address, and phone number of the property owner, the parcel # of the property that is the subject of the appeal, and the reason for the appeal.
Property values are established as of April 1st every year. Tax bills are issued to the April 1st owner, and only the owner of record on April 1st can appeal the assessed value of the property. If the property changes hands after April 1st and the new owner wants to appeal the assessed value, the previous owner can make the new owner an agent and, in that way, the new owner can participate by acting on behalf of the previous owner.
Property owners do not have to be present at the grievance hearing. They may appear in person or they may be represented by an attorney or agent. They may also choose to have their grievance heard entirely on the basis of their written appeal. A property owner should present credible evidence (e.g. a professional appraisal or listings of comparable properties) in support of his/her position prior to or at the grievance hearing.
If the property owner presents credible evidence of an error, the Listers may reduce the assessed value of the property. If there is no evidence of error, they may decide to leave the assessed value as is, or increase it based on facts gathered during the grievance process. All grievances filed in writing with the Listers prior to the deadline must be considered and resolved, even if the taxpayer fails to appear.
