Assessing
CONTACT:
Verna Sharpe
Assessing Agent
Tyanne Vasapoli
Assessing Technician
Phone:
(207) 384-3010
HOURS:
ASSESSING AGENT ON DUTY HOURS
MONDAY & THURSDAY 9am to 4pm
FRIDAY 9am to Noon
Appointments Appreciated
Renewable Energy Equipment Exemption
Effective April 1, 2023, the Town of South Berwick will be assessing solar energy equipment as part of the real estate. Taxpayers are welcome to apply for the Renewable Energy Equipment Exemption. The exemption applies to:
- Solar arrays receiving a net metering credit or generating energy for use onsite, and
- Solar farms with a nameplate capacity of less than 5 MW that are receiving a net metering credit.
Click HERE for the application, or you may pick up a copy at the Town Office. If approved, the equipment will be exempt from taxation. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2023, for exemption on the FY2024 tax billing.
Please contact Assessing Agent, Verna Sharpe, with any questions: 207-384-3010.
ASSESSOR’S OFFICE WEBSITE INFORMATION FY2022
The Assessor’s Office is responsible for the valuation of all real and personal property in South Berwick. This involves inspection of all new construction, alterations and additions as well as reviews of sales data for the purpose of updating and adjusting cost tables and recalculation of values on an annual basis. Other duties of the office include the maintenance of all property ownership records (deeds, addresses, etc.), property record cards, updating and maintaining the tax maps, administering exemptions, answering inquiries by property owners, appraisers, real estate agents and other members of the public.
The taxable valuation for the 2021/2022 tax year is $ 837,718,800. This includes taxable real estate with a total of $ 831,881,600. and taxable business personal property with a total of $ 5,837,200. The value of exempt property is currently $ 136,502,800. South Berwick’s certified assessment ratio for the current tax year is 100%.
South Berwick’s land area measures 19,847 acres and is made up of 3157 land parcels. South Berwick has 3343 real estate accounts, 104 personal property accounts, and 159 exempt. The current tax rate is $ 15.54 per thousand dollars of valuation and breaks down as $10.35 for school, $4.74 for municipal and $0.45 for county.
Annually, the Assessor’s Office reviews valuations and makes adjustments to the valuations to include any additions and deletions. Part of the assessment process includes conducting an annual “sales ratio study”, which compares the actual selling prices of properties to assessments. The most recent study, conducted for the state valuation purposes, indicated the assessed values to be, on average, at less than 90% of market value requiring the town to make a valuation adjustment in an effort to avoid loss in value to Homestead and Veteran Exemptions.
The Property Tax Stabilization Program for Senior Citizens
Now accepting applications at the Town Hall.
Please bring a valid driver's license to complete the intake form.
Deadline to apply: December 1, 2022, for stabilization of FY2024 taxes.
Property Tax Stabilization FAQ's
Property Tax Stabilization Guide
Property Tax Stabilization Application
FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE
DEFERRED COLLECTION OF HOMESTEAD PROPERTY TAXES
Maine Revenue Service Title 36, Chapter 908.
Effective 2022 for FY2023, the State will pay property taxes of residents enrolled in the Property Tax Deferral program to municipalities. The State will recapture the taxes paid, plus interest, when the property is sold, or the owner dies.
Click Below for Application
PROPERTY TAX DEFERRAL APPLICATION
- The Property Tax Deferral Application is for taxpayers to complete and file with the assessor.
- Applications have to be filed between January 2022 & and April 1st, 2022
- Assessors must verify certain items on the applications and forward the applications to Maine Revenue Service within 30 days of receipt.
- The program is needs-based, requires the applicant to be receiving the Homestead Exemption, and has income and asset limits. Maine Revenue Service will determine eligibility and notify the Assessor of accounts that qualify for deferral.
- To receive reimbursement for the deferred taxes, municipalities must file the Municipal Property Tax Report annually within 30 days of commitment, listing the approved program participants in the municipality and attaching copies of the property tax bills for those participants. Maine Revenue Service will issue reimbursements to municipalities after review of the report.
Assessor's Office
c/o Verna Sharpe
180 Main Street
South Berwick, ME 03908
Applications & Additional Information
Application for Abatement of Property Taxes
Blind Exemption Application
Homestead Exemption Application
Tax Club Application
New Sale/Owner Questionnaire
Veterans Exemption Application
Widow, Minor Child or Widowed Mother Application
NAME OR MAILING ADDRESS CHANGES: If you have legally changed your name from how it appeared on the deed to your property, please contact us to update that information. We will need to make a copy of your DMV issued driver's license showing that change. Also, if you have moved or changed your mailing address, please contact us to update that information.
TAX CLUB: The South Berwick Tax Club allows you to spread your payments over 8 months. The deadline to enroll in the program is the end of August each year for the respective year. No late applications are accepted. Monthly payments must be made on time and no exceptions are granted. For more information, contact the Deputy Tax Collector, Heather Stanley at 207-384-3006.
PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS & PROPERTY TAX RELIEF
There are several forms of property tax relief available to Maine residents.
HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION: The Homestead exemption offers a reduction to the property tax bill for qualifying residents. The exemption applies only to their primary residence. A qualifying applicant must apply by April 1st in order to receive the exemption for the upcoming tax year. A non-resident moving to Maine who is establishing residency may not see the exemption applied until the following tax year due to qualification requirements. The exempt amount of $25,000 is deducted from the property’s total taxable value. Applications can be obtained in the Assessor’s Office or downloaded from the website. As with all programs, applications received after April 1st will be kept on file for processing in the appropriate tax year.
VETERAN’S EXEMPTION: Any resident who was in active service in the armed forces of the US during a federally recognized war campaign period and if discharged or retired under honorable conditions, may be eligible for a $6,000 reduction in valuation. The veteran must have reached age 62. The age requirement is waived for veterans who are receiving a pension or compensation from the US Military for total disability. Applications can be picked up in the Assessor’s Office or downloaded from the website and must be filed a copy of their discharge documents and in the case of a disabled veteran, a copy of the VA Summary of Benefits, on or before April 1st in the Assessing Office of the year it will go into effect.
BLIND EXEMPTION: Any resident who is certified to be legally blind by their eye care professional is eligible for a $4,000 reduction in valuation. A letter from your eye care professional must be filed by April 1st in the Assessing Office of the year it will go in effect.
PROPERTY TAX FAIRNESS CREDIT: In 2013, the Legislature repealed the Maine Residents Property Tax and Rent Refund (“Circuit Breaker”) Program and replaced it with the Property Tax Fairness Credit. This annual property tax credit can be claimed on the Maine Individual Income Tax Form. The credit is available to any individual who (1) was a Maine resident during any part of the tax year, (2) owned or rented a home in Maine during any part of that year and lived in that home during that year, (3) had Maine adjusted gross income of no more than the amount specified by statute, and (4) paid property taxes on that home or paid rent to live in that home during that year which exceeded Maine adjusted gross income by the percentages specified by statute. The amount of the credit varies depending on individual circumstances. Forms and assistance in applying for the credit are available from Maine Revenue Services at: http://www.maine.gov/revenue/taxrelief/ or by calling 207-626-8475.
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