WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The average property tax bill for a single-family home in Massachusetts in 2022 went up by roughly $300 compared to 2021.

State officials are reminding you there’s a chance to appeal how much you’re being billed. Because home prices have gone up over the last year, so have property tax bills. But taking a bit of time could potentially save you hundreds.

“Say you’ve taken down a deck or removed a shed, something like that. Small things can affect your bill,” Alex Villar is the Principal Assessor for the Town of West Springfield. He said property values are often determined by looking at recent sales of homes with similar characteristics.

But if you feel your home was overvalued and that’s making your property tax bill go up, there is a way to appeal that decision, through an “abatement”. Homeowners may find more information on Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin’s website, at www.sec.state.ma.us/cis. Those who need assistance may call the Citizen Information Service at 1-800-392-6090 for additional resources.

Exemptions are also available in many communities for certain elderly homeowners, the blind, disabled veterans, minor children of a deceased parent, or minor children of police or firefighters killed in the line of duty.

West Springfield’s abatement deadline is February 1st but not all communities have the same deadline. For example, in Chicopee, their deadline was back in November. You can find more information about the abatement process on your town or city’s website.