Motor Vehicle Assessments & Adjustments
Motor Vehicle Assessments
Motor Vehicle tax bills cover motor vehicles registered prior to October 1st. If you own a motor vehicle in Connecticut on October 1st, you will be responsible for property tax on the vehicle. The Assessor’s Office values all vehicles at 70 percent of current market value using state recommended price guides.
If you moved out of Beacon Falls after October 1st, the tax bill will still be due in Beacon Falls for that entire Grand List year. Motor Vehicle taxes are not prorated from one Connecticut town to another Connecticut town.
Adjustments to Your Motor Vehicle Tax Bill
A prorated credit may be processed if a motor vehicle was stolen and not recovered, totally destroyed, sold, or registered in another state, when written documentation is provided.
The DMV does not inform towns when plates are returned nor when vehicles are sold, registered out of state, or otherwise disposed of. It is the taxpayer’s responsibility to provide required documents within the time limits as provided under state law.
TWO FORMS OF PROOF ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL ADJUSTMENTS
DMV Plate Cancellation Receipt
A copy of the receipt given by the DMV when registration and plates are cancelled is required for all adjustments.
- Contact the DMV Records division at (860) 263- 5154 for a copy of your plate receipt.
- The DMV has a self-service portal to cancel plates online: www.ct.gov/dmv
Second Proof for Adjustment of Motor Vehicle Bills
The DMV receipt alone does not show that you have disposed of the vehicle. Therefore, a second form of proof is required to support an adjustment. Examples include:
- Copy of dated registration from another state
- Copy of signed, dated bill of sale with the year, make, model, vehicle identification #
- Statement from insurance carrier indicating the vehicle description, and the date and reason for cancellation
- Receipt from junk dealer with the year, make, model, vehicle identification #, and the date of disposal
- Copy of the new owner’s registration or the new owner’s title with the year, make, model & VIN listed
- Copy of the police report with the vehicle description and stating that the vehicle was stolen and never recovered
Transfer of Plates
If you transferred your plates to a new (replacement) vehicle, you are not entitled to an adjustment for the period that the old vehicle was no longer owned. In other words, the adjustment follows the license plate. A Supplemental list will generate a bill for the new vehicle. The bill (sent out in January) will be prorated according to the month the vehicle was registered and a credit from your old vehicle will also be applied to this January bill.
Unregistered or Out-of-State Registered Motor Vehicles
Motor vehicles that do not have a current Connecticut registration are subject to personal property tax. Complete the Declaration of Personal Property for Motor Vehicles and return to the Assessor's Office by Nov 1 annually. Please contact the office if you have any questions.
Taxed in the Wrong Town
Please provide proof of your residency in that town prior to October 1.
Motor Vehicle Assessment Appeals
Motor vehicle assessments billed in July may be appealed at the September meeting of the Board of Assessment Appeals. No appointment is necessary.
Motor vehicle assessments billed on the supplemental list (bills that come out in January) may be appealed at the March meeting of the Board of Assessment Appeals. Applications must be made by February 20th.
Appeal forms are available at the Assessor’s office.
Questions or Concerns?
(203) 723-5253