Frequently Asked Questions
The amount of taxes that you pay is determined by the budget and the levy. The proposed budget and tax rates are forwarded to the State of Rhode Island for their review and approval. The City, after public hearings, then adopts a budget that reflects what services will be provided and the cost to provide those services. The amount of revenue generated by property taxes is the levy. Property taxes are ad valorem, which means that they are based on value. Your share of the tax burden is based on the value of your property – the more that your property is worth, relative to other property in the city, the higher your share of the tax burden.
See the Assessor’s Office portion of the website to obtain a change of address form. This form must be completed by the property owner only and returned to the Assessor’s Office. The form can be mailed, emailed, or dropped off in person at the Assessor’s window on the first floor of City Hall. Please note: Any forms submitted by someone other than the property owner will not be honored.
You must be current with your vehicle tax payments in order to renew your registration. If you are current, your registration will be mailed to you at the address you have given to the Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles.
However, if you are delinquent with any of the four quarterly payment installments, you must pay your bill in full (entire year) with cash or certified bank funds to receive a clearance letter from the City of Central Falls. All delinquent registrations are held at City Hall until all your vehicle tax bills are paid in full. Once the vehicle tax is paid in full, you will receive a clearance letter or registration renewal that you can then take to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to renew your registration.
We currently accept cash, personal checks and money orders (certified bank funds). If you are delinquent you must pay with cash or certified bank funds. Unfortunately you cannot pay your bill online at this time. You can either pay in person at the Finance office on the 1st floor of City Hall or mail us your payment to the address at the top of the left-hand column.
Yes, there is a six (6) business day grace period for every due date.
If you believe that your property is over-assessed, not assessed fairly in comparison to other properties, or that it is not classified correctly, you have the right to file an appeal with the Assessor’s Office. The deadline for an appeal on a motor vehicle is within forty-five (45) days of notice of valuation (RIGL §44-34-8). The deadline to file an appeal on real estate or tangible personal property assessment is within ninety (90) days from the date that the 1st quarterly payment is due.
RIGL §44-5-26 states:
“These deadlines cannot be extended or waived by the assessor for any reason.” If your application is not filed on time, you lose all rights to an abatement and the assessor cannot, by law, grant you one. An appeal application is filed when received by the assessor’s office.
The value for excise tax purposes is mandated by law to be the clean retail value as determined by the Rhode Island Vehicle Value Commission (see RIGL 44-34-9 and RIGL 44-34-11). This determination is made by using the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Used Car Guide and other recognized pricing guides. Condition, mileage or so-called market value of individual cars is not a consideration in determining value for excise tax purposes.
Real estate tax bills cover the current calendar year, assessed the prior December 31st. Tangible personal property and motor vehicle tax bills cover the prior calendar year. For example, the 2018 Motor Vehicle and tangible property tax bills cover from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.
Real Estate and Tangible/Personal Property Taxes: The 2018 Real Estate and Tangible/Personal Property bills will be mailed on June 26, 2018. The first installment due date is July 15, 2018, with a twelve (12) business day grace period. The last day to pay the first installment without interest is July 31, 2018. The due dates on the remaining three (3) installments are: October 15, 2018, with six (6) day grace period through October 23, 2018; January 15, 2019, with six (6) day grace period through January 24, 2019; and April 15, 2019, with six (6) day grace period through April 23, 2019.
Motor Vehicle Tax Bills: The 2018 Motor Vehicle bills will be mailed Ion June 26, 2018. The first installment due date is July 15, 2018, with a twelve (12) business day grace period. The last day to pay the first installment without interest is July 31, 2018. The due dates on the remaining three (3) installments are: October 15, 2018, with six (6) day grace period through October 23, 2018; January 15, 2019, with six (6) day grace period through January 24, 2019; and April 15, 2019, with six (6) day grace period through April 23, 2019.
Contact Information
Tax Assessor
580 Broad St
Central Falls, RI 02863
(401) 727-7430
Fax: 727-7472