1.If any, what kind of public services does your department offer?
Tax Assessor's office offers various services to our taxpayers, they include:
* All questions or guidance related to the appraised value of all real estate and commercial buildings throughout the city. We also handle personal property assessment for all business owners (assets they use to run their business).
* Our department offers various exemptions to our homeowners, including but not limited to: a deduction for the owner-occupied tax rate and multiple deductions for being a veteran, disabled veteran, over age 65 (Elderly Exemption) also if they receive disability or social security. These exemptions may be found online. We assist any qualified taxpayer through the process via online or in person.
* Our department also supplies applications for owners looking for tax exemption status. They may obtain the application in our office.
*Once a tax bill goes out from the tax collector's office, if the homeowner does not agree with the property assessment on their property, they have the right to appeal their tax bill within 90 days of receipt of said bill. Our Appeals are found in the Tax Assessor's online website.
* When a property is sold, or a deed is recorded it first goes to the recorder of deeds office and then to our department. We update the new deed (transfer) in the ownership section of our property record card. We assist attorneys, real estate agents as well as the general public inquiring about ownership of a particular property, building or land.
2. If relevant, what materials (ID, etc.) are necessary for the public to bring to receive service?
For Homeowners looking to file for the Owner-Occupied Tax Rate, the following documents are required:
A valid RI license or State ID (City- ID also accepted)
One of the below documents will be accepted. Please redact private information (i.e. account numbers, bank balances, salary detail)
-Mortgage statement (last 30 days)
-Bank statement (last 30 days)
-Paystub (last 30 days)
-Formal state or federal document (i.e., Social Security statement, Medicare, or Medicaid)
For homeowners looking to request additional exemptions, the following documents are required:
- Elderly - Elderly application, valid license or state ID
- Disability - Disability application, SSI Disability Award Letter, valid license or state ID
- SSI (62-64) - SSI 62-64 application, SSI Award Letter, valid license or state ID
- Veteran's - Veteran's application, DD214 and valid license or state ID
- Veteran's disability - Veteran's disability application, DD214, 100% disability letter from VA, and valid license or state ID
- Blind exemption - Blind Application, letter from physician legally blind, license or state ID
- Paraplegic - Paraplegic application, valid license and state ID, appraiser to check home modifications
- POW - Veteran's Application, POW armed services documentation, DD214 and valid license or state ID
- Gold Star Parent – Veteran’s Application, Letter Gold Star Recognition, valid license or state ID
3. Does your department ever refer constituents to other departments? If yes, which departments are most frequent and in what scenarios? Multi Line Text.
The departments we work with most often are as follows:
- Recorder of Deeds – we refer constituents there for historical chain of title (ownership) on property or if homeowner has a lien on their property.
- Collections – any tax payment related question, municipal liens certificates, motor vehicle blocks or tax sale related questions.
- Inspections & Standards – any permit related information of previous or current work done for interior or exterior renovations or building code/use changes.
- Planning and Zoning – Administrative subdivisions of land, land development projects, and zoning or abutters maps.
4. Is there another department that offers a similar service to yours? If yes, can you describe the difference in services offered?
Tax Collector’s office. The similarity is Tax Collector’s offers ownership and tax bills. The Collectors office receives data from our department to generate the tax bills. The primary difference is they can only provide ownership and tax bill amounts as well as payment(s) on a property. Collector’s does not handle any exemption applications for taxpayers, abatements, property assessment changes or address changes. It must come from our department.
5. Are there any misconceptions about your department that you would like to clarify?
Yes, the Tax Assessor’s office does not take payments, or remove interest charges from late payments. That is only handled by the Collector’s department.
6. What other information would you like our staff members and constituents to know about your department?
Any questions or concerns please feel free to give our email out: taxassessors@provideceri.gov, and we will gladly assist with any questions or concerns our emails are checked and answered within 24 hours or sooner.
Tax Assessor
25 Dorrance Street, Suite 208 | Providence RI 02903
Email: taxassessors@providenceri.gov Phone: 401.680.5229 |Fax: 401.421-5902