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1. How do I find out if my taxes are paid?

If it is during a payment period, call your local Tax Collector to find out about the current tax bill. If it is not in a payment period and you want to know if there are delinquencies on a property, call the Madison County Treasurer's Office at 315-366-2371. For residents of the City of Oneida, contact the City Chamberlain's Office at 315-363-7399.

2. How do I find out more about exemptions?

If you want to know what exemptions are on your property, you may call either your local Assessor or the Madison County Office of Real Property Tax Services. If you would like to apply for an exemption, forms are available on the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance (link is external) website. For information about how to complete a form, contact your local Assessor. All forms must arrive at your Assessor's office by 1 March for everyone except those living in the City of Oneida. City of Oneida forms must be in by 1 May.

3. What do I do if the tax map doesn't reflect what I think my property boundaries are?

Call the Madison County Office of Real Property Tax Services and ask to speak with the Tax Mapper or, if they are not available, the Director. They will review your property and explain any circumstances that they are aware of. Generally, modifications to the tax maps are only done if there is a certified survey available. If you have a survey, you may bring it to the Madison County Office of Real Property Tax Services for review.

4. Who do I talk to when I sell / buy / change my property?

In general, the Real Property office provides assistance in understanding how land taxes apply to your property and maintains a listing of property ownership based on records filed with the Madison County Clerk's Office. The Real Property and Clerk's offices cannot provide legal assistance or perform surveys of a property as these activities are governed by NYS legal certification requirements. If you have questions about transferring property, you should contact an attorney practicing in NYS. For questions regarding your property boundaries or for modifying your property, you should contact a NYS licensed Surveyor. If you have general questions about subdividing your property and what is acceptable, contact your town office and ask for the Planning Department.

5. What if I don't understand how my property was assessed?

Your local Assessor can answer questions about how your assessment was determined. You may ask them for the comparables that were used. Comparables are other properties that are considered similar to yours which have sold recently via a fair-market transaction. Land, home and commercial assessments all have slightly different methods involved for determining value.

6. What if I don't agree with my assessment?

First, contact your Assessor to find out how they valued your property. You may provide them with any evidence supporting your claim to value. The best evidence is an independent appraisal by a NYS certified Appraiser. You may also provide the Assessor with properties you feel are comparable to yours. These properties should be in your town, in a similar neighborhood and preferably have recent arms-length sales on them.

If you provide this information to your Assessor but still do not agree with the result, you may attend Grievance (link is external) to bring your evidence before an independent Board of Assessment Review comprised of individuals who reside in your town. They will take the evidence and make a determination. If you still do not agree with the outcome, you may go to Small Claims Court (link is external) to have the assessment dispute addressed.

7. When is the next Madison County land auction?

All information regarding the land auction is handled through the Madison County Treasurer's Office. Please contact them directly at 315-366-2371.