Property Tax FAQs

Property tax bills were mailed to Lincoln residents on August 13, 2024. Unfortunately, many factors have contributed to property tax increases, and the Selectboard recognizes the burden this will place on homeowners. Below are answers to many of the questions coming in about why costs are rising, how taxes are calculated, and what options are available to homeowners. Hit the plus sign to expand any section.

How is my property tax calculated?

Your property tax bill is calculated based on the municipal tax rate (controlled locally and voted on at Town Meeting), the education tax rate (set annually by the state legislature), your total property value, and whether your property is classified as homestead or non-homestead, minus any partial tax exemptions or deductions. All of this information can be found on your bill.

More information about how to read your bill is available from the Vermont Department of Taxes.

What goes into the municipal tax rate?

The Selectboard sets this tax rate annually to raise money for maintenance of town roads and other municipal expenses. Your elected officials work with the highway department, town office staff, and appointees to create the town highway fund and general fund budgets, which are then proposed to the residents of Lincoln annually in the Town Report and at Town Meeting. Those who attend Town Meeting vote on these proposed budgets from the floor, and this determines the total amount of property tax revenue to be raised after all other sources of revenue are accounted for.

The municipal tax rate is then calculated by dividing the total taxes to be raised by the total value of the grand list in Lincoln. The grand list is the full accounting of every property parcel in town, assembled annually by the town lister(s).

The budgets for fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025) appear on page 18 of the 2023 Town Report and were passed at Town Meeting on March 4, 2024.

What goes into the education tax rate?

The state legislature sets a homestead education tax rate and a nonhomestead education tax rate annually to generate enough property tax revenue to support the school budgets approved by voters across the state after all other sources of revenue to the education fund are accounted for. (Another major source of revenue for the education fund, for example, is the state Sales and Use tax.)

More information about the education tax rate is available from the Vermont Department of Taxes.

When are 2026-2027 property taxes due?

What is "CLA" that is listed on my property tax bill this year?

What happens if I can't pay my new tax bill?

After October 7, 2026, a half of one percent interest begins accruing monthly on any portion of the first installment that remains unpaid. After March 10,2027, an eight percent one-time delinquency penalty is applied, and a half of one percent interest begins accruing monthly on any portion of the remaining unpaid balance. Interest will not be applied to the eight percent penalty.

The delinquent tax collector will begin sending notices of amounts due in April 2027. Any questions about the delinquency process or abatement, please reach out to the Vermont Department of Taxes or Town of Lincoln’s Delinquent Tax Collector, Nancy Stevens, 802-373-9596 or email, nstevens@gmavt.net.

You may make partial tax payments any time, to chip away at your balance due — we will accept tax payments at any time of year, not just in the weeks preceding a deadline.

What else can I do to help manage my property tax bill?

Here are some steps you can take:

Make sure to file your homestead declaration to be eligible for the state property tax credit next year. According to the Vermont Department of Taxes, about two-thirds of all resident homeowners in Vermont receive an income-based property tax credit each year. The state pays this credit directly to the town to reduce your bill.
Resolve any typographical errors in the amount of acreage listed by emailing listers@lincolnvermont.org.
Request an escrow analysis from your mortgage company to begin distributing increased tax costs across your next 12 monthly mortgage payments. Mortgage companies will typically run an escrow analysis once a year OR if you alert them to a higher cost on your property tax bill or homeowner’s insurance.
Make partial tax payments to chip away at your balance due – we will accept tax payments at any time of year, not just in the weeks preceding a deadline.
Attend the public info session with our state elected officials.
Engage in the municipal and school district budgeting processes in the fall, which will affect the 2026-2027 tax year.
Come to Town Meeting in March to vote on the municipal and school district budgets.
Engage in the state legislature’s education tax process.
Vote in primary and general elections that help decide who will be managing spending in the town, our school district, and at a state level.