Town of Solon, Maine

Assessing & Taxes

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Tax Assessing

Both real (land and buildings) and personal property (tangible goods) are subject to taxation. Local assessors are required by law to “ascertain as nearly as may be the nature, amount and value as of the first day of April of the real estate and personal property subject to be taxed …" This means that if on the 1st day of April you own property that is subject to taxation, then you are liable to pay those taxes to your municipality.

In calculating a property tax rate, the legislative body of the municipality (town meeting or council) determines the amount of revenue to be raised by the property tax to fund municipal services (including school and county budget liabilities). The Assessor/Agent then divides that amount by the total local assessed valuation to get the local tax rate.

In Solon, the Board of Selectmen are also the Assessors. For inquiries, the Assessors are currently in the office on Wednesdays from 8 AM - 6 PM. Beginning in 2024, the town will have an Assessing Agent (professional assessors) handling assessments, property transfers and tree growth applications.

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Online Property Tax Payments

This online service allows citizens to provide payment to their participating municipality for property tax payments. This service is provided by a third party working in partnership with the State of Maine. All major credit cards are accepted. A 2.5% processing fee will be applied. Online payments can be made ** HERE. **

Points of Interest

  • All payments are applied to the oldest tax first.
  • Interest begins to accrue after the due date.
  • Payments made after the due date may not pay the entire balance due. Please contact the Tax Collector or Treasurer for a current balance.
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Tax Bills

Tax bills for the current tax year are available by August 1st each year (or up to 2 weeks earlier). Copies of tax bills, for current and previous years, can be found in our Documents section under Assessing & Taxes.

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Tax Commitments

Taxes are committed by August 1st each year (or up to two weeks earlier). Copies of Tax Commitments for current and previous years, can be found in our Documents section under Assessing & Taxes.

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Tax Maps

Property Tax Maps are updated every two (2) years. They are available to view at the Town Office or can be viewed or downloaded in the Documents section of this website and select Maps. A list of current property owners will be updated annually to cross reference against the tax maps.

We also provide an interactive GIS map overlay with Google Maps. See map below or view on a new page HERE.

ESRI Tax Map

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Tree Growth Program

This program provides for the landowner with at least 10 acres of forested land who wishes to maintain land for the planting, culture and continuous harvesting of trees. A Forest Management and Harvest Plan must be prepared and submitted with the application. Applications must include a map of the parcel indicating the forest type breakdown as well as all other areas not classified as tree growth. The 100% valuation per acre for each forest type by county is determined by the State Tax Assessor each year. If the classified parcel no longer meets the criteria of eligibility or the landowner withdraws from the program a penalty of an amount between 20 and 30% of the difference between the tree growth value and the fair market value will be assessed depending on the amount of time in the program.

For more information on Tree Growth Law, go to the Maine Forest Service website.

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Tax Exemption Programs

Certain classes of property are tax exempt by law. Fully exempt property tax may include real estate or personal property owned by governmental entities, school systems, and other institutions. Partially exempt property tax relates to the following categories:

Partial exemptions must be adjusted by the municipality’s certified assessment ratio.

All of the above exemptions require completion of an application to the local town office where the property is located. Exemption claims may require additional information to support the claim for exemption, and must be delivered to the Assessor’s office no later than April 1.

For more information click the links above or go to maine.gov for more information on these and other Property Tax Relief or Exemption Programs available. See 36 M.R.S. §§ 651 - 684 for legal statutes.

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Tax Relief Programs

The State of Maine provides a measure of property tax relief through different programs to qualified individuals. While some are applied at a local level, others may be applied for through the Income Tax Division. Below is a list of the different categories and their links.

Click the links below or go to maine.gov for more information on these and other Property Tax Relief or Exemption Programs available.

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