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1. What is my mill rate?

Municipalities in Connecticut apply property taxes in terms of mill rates. A mill rate is equal to $1 in taxes for every $1,000 in assessed value. To calculate your tax based on your mill rate,

Example: 51.92 mills = .05192, the mill rate (Move decimal 3 places to the left) times your assessment. (100,000 X .05192 = $5,192.00 taxes).

The Mill Rate is calculated in the spring of each year prior to tax bills, by dividing the net budget by the net grand list which equals the mill rate. Net budget is the total amount needed to operate the Town, less any/all state grants, reimbursements for exemptions granted, etc.

The State has halted two major reimbursements in the past 6 yrs, The Manufacturers Machinery & Equipment (MME exemption an Elderly program), which in turn, raises the net budget. This has affected all Towns/Cities. The same thing happened years ago with boats and private airplanes and cows and livestock before that.

2. What period of time does my motor vehicle tax bill cover?

The period of time the tax bill covers is from October 1st to the following September 30th.

There are two (2) parts to the Motor Vehicle (MV) portion of the Grand List (GL). There is the Regular MV list and the Supplemental MV list.

A motor vehicle on the Supplemental List (billed in full, due January 1st) includes all vehicles acquired from October 2nd to July 31st of any given year. After one year on the Supplemental List, it automatically moves to the Regular MV List for the following Grand List year.

When a vehicle is added to the Supplemental List, depending on what month acquired, the vehicle will be taxed from the month acquired to the following Sept.30th. This is called prorating on. You are only taxed for the portion of the year owned. The Mill Rate for motor vehicles in Hamden is 45 mills. (Assessment X .045= Tax)

3. I received a tax bill for a motor vehicle I no longer own; doesn't the Department of Motor Vehicles notify the town when a motor vehicle is sold?

No. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) only provides the Assessors’ offices with a list of all motor vehicles (Including snowmobiles & trailers) registered in the Town of Hamden. Because the DMV does not notify us of any vehicles that are no longer registered, the owner has the burden of proof that the MV is no longer owned by them. Note: A motor vehicle is taxable, whether it is registered to drive on the road or not.

If you’ve canceled the registration however, the vehicle is still in your possession, it is considered Personal Property by state statute. If you sold your vehicle, canceled the plate and did not transfer the plate to another vehicle, you may be entitled to a tax credit. In this scenario you must provide two (2) forms of proof documentation to the Assessor’s office; it is not automatic.

• If the motor vehicle (Including snowmobiles & trailers) has been: sold; a bill of sale or trade-in, or a copy of both

sides of the title.

• If moved to another town - make sure the DMV changes the "Town Code" to your new Town’s Town Code.

• If moved to a different state - A copy of the registration from that new state.

• If junked, a junk/tow receipt (given to you when towed away).

• If donated, a letter from the organization on their letterhead and signed.

AND:

The Plate Receipt. Either printed by you when you cancel them on-line or one given to you at a DMV office. Please bring these documents (Or emailed as attachments) to the Assessor’s office a.s.a.p. to be adjusted.

4. Do I have to pay the entire tax bill if I no longer own the vehicle?

If you did not own the vehicle on October 1st, you are responsible for the number of months you owned the vehicle, but you must provide this office with proper documentation (Listed above) that you did not own the vehicle for the entire Assessors’ year, 10/01 to 9/30. 

If you disposed of the vehicle after October 1st and before the next September 30th, you may be eligible to have the bill prorated upon presentation of the two (2) forms of proof. Prorates are based on the month in which he vehicle was disposed. There is no adjustment for a vehicle disposed of in September.

Vehicle tax bills can only be prorated if proper documentation, listed above, is provided to the Assessor’s office in a timely fashion. As it states above, documentation must show that the vehicle was sold, junked, or registered out-of state or donated.

(The license plate receipt alone is not sufficient proof that the vehicle has been disposed of).

5. How did you arrive at the value of my vehicle?

As recommended by the CT Office of Policy & Management, Connecticut Assessor’s utilize the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) guide for all motor vehicle valuations, with exceptions not found in NADA, we also use various other guides for vehicles that are special interest or too old to be listed in the NADA Pricing Guide and trailers are priced by decoding their VIN number for: make, model, weight, capacity, etc.

The assessment reflects 70% of the published "retail-selling price" as of October 1 of each year. The assessment does not reflect vehicle condition nor mileage factors. If you feel your vehicle should be assessed at a lower rate due to these factors, you may appeal to the assessment to the Board of Assessment Appeals (BAA).

6. How do I appeal the assessment on my vehicle if I believe that the value is incorrect?

The BAA convenes twice per year, in March and September. The March hearings the BAA hears appeals for taxable property; real estate, personal property and motor vehicles, on the supplemental list only. These appeals are by appointment only.

Applications can be downloaded from the Assessor’s page starting Feb.1st and a deadline for submission on or before 4:30 on February 20th. The Clerk for the BAA will contact appellants with their

appointments.

The September appeals are for Motor Vehicles on the Regular MV List only. and are “walk-In” on a first come first serve basis. Notices must be posted in the paper and Town website. 

You may contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 203-287-7112 to get exact dates. Applications can be downloaded from the the Assessor’s Office web page on February 1st, and must completed and returned to the Assessor’s Office on or before 4:30, February 20th.

If this date falls on a Saturday, it would be the prior Friday and if the date falls on a Sunday, it will be the Monday following day. Application forms may be downloaded by visiting the Board of Assessment Appeals Forms page.

7. What is the assessed value of real estate based on? How can I find out what my assessment is?

Assessments represent 70% of the market value, as of the date of the last revaluation (October,1 2020).

and

All property owners will receive final change notices in the first few days of February. This notice will cite the new assessments according to the 10/01/2020 Grand List and Your Rights of Appeal to the BAA explained.

These notices are a yearly occurrence, primarily for all increased assessments caused mostly by building permit work inspections, that contributes to the property value as a whole. Not all building permit work affects the value. Most information is available in the Assessor’s office is open to the public.

Basic information (such as title and assessment) can be provided upon telephone request although, the most latest information is available through the Assessor’s Online Assessment Database (Updated nightly) hosted by Vision Governmental Solutions.

The next revaluation is scheduled for the October 1st, 2025 Grand List.