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Excise Tax Commitments Program

The program information in this section is intended for municipal employees and their processing vendors.

Table of Contents

Overview

The Registry of Motor Vehicles’ (RMV) Excise Tax Commitments Program sends municipalities, or their service provider excise tax commitments for the purpose of excise billing.  Excise Tax Commitment files are only available to Municipalities or their authorized service provider. 

Municipalities can receive their community’s Excise Commitment file directly or through a service provider that has been authorized to receive your community’s file. 

To participate in the Excise Tax Program and/or to have access to the RMV we require that all RMV Business Partners sign an Agreement for Access to Records and Data Maintained by the Registry of Motor Vehicles (“Access Agreement”) along with additional required documentation for this program. 

RMV data contains Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) protected information, so your business must have a DPPA permitted use to access RMV data.  Your employees, contractors, and/or agents are required to have a background check before they can access RMV data, refer to Section 11 of the Access Agreement.   

As part of the Excise Tax Commitment Program, we also offer free direct access to Municipality users the RMV via a Business Portal.  Refer to the Business Portal Section. 

Authorizing a Service Provider

Municipalities can choose to have their Excise Tax Commitment files sent to a service provider on their behalf; an authorization letter from the Municipality must be submitted to the RMV.  Refer to the Service Provider section for more details.

Requesting Excise Tax Commitments

Municipality 

Follow steps below to receive your Community’s Excise Tax Commitments Directly: 

Step 1: Create a signed and dated authorization letter on your municipality’s letterhead stating:  

  • That you are requesting to receive your community’s excise tax commitment files directly, rescind authorization for service provider (if applicable) and include the effective date of the request. 
  • Your letter must also include contact information, including address, phone number and email address, letter must be signed and uploaded as a .pdf  

Step 2: Register for access to the RMV's Community Portal as a New Business Partner.  You will be required to upload your intent letter and proof of FEIN when registering. Only one person can register per business.  (After approved registration, more contacts can be added.) 

Step 3: Once your registration is approved, you will receive an email with your Community Portal login credentials. This may take up to 5-7 business days. 

Step 4: Log into the RMV's Community Portal to complete the process of becoming an RMV Business Partner for the program(s) you have selected. 

The person submitting the request will receive notification when the documents are approved or rejected.  End users will receive an email with their login credentials once approved.   

Service Provider 

Follow steps below to receive a Community’s Excise Tax Commitments: 

Step 1: Obtain a signed and dated authorization letter on the Municipality’s letterhead stating: 

  • That you are authorized to receive Municipality’s excise tax commitment files on their behalf, rescind any authorization for previous service provider (if applicable) and include the effective date of the request.   

  • The letter must include the processing service provider’s information i.e. company name, address, telephone number, contact person’s name & email address. 

  • The letter must also include contact information for the Municipality, including address, phone number and email address, letter must be signed and uploaded as a .pdf  

Step 2: Register for access to the RMV's Community Portal as a New Business Partner.  You will be required to upload your intent letter and proof of FEIN when registering. Only one person can register per business.  (After approved registration, more contacts can be added.) 

If you are an existing business partner and do not have Community Portal credentials, contact rmvbusinesspartners@dot.state.ma.us and request a Community Portal logon. Skip to step 4.     

Step 3: Once your registration is approved, you will receive an email with your Community Portal login credentials. This may take up to 5-7 business days. 

Step 4: Log into the Community Portal to complete the process of becoming an RMV Business Partner for the program(s) you have selected. 

The person submitting the request will receive notification when the documents are approved or rejected.  End users will receive an email with their login credentials once approved. 

Documents

The following documents are required to be completed in the RMV's Community Portal.  

  • Access Agreement – depending on your business type the access agreement will be the standard or government version of the Agreement for Access to Records Maintained by Registry of Motor Vehicles.  

    • Visit the RMV's Community Portal, click on: My Business & Programs, click on open details. In the Business Checklists you will find the Access Agreement, click on Complete Online  
    • One agreement must be completed and signed by the signatory authority for your business.   

  • Business Portal User Request form (if applicable) 

    • This form is used to identify each End User that will need access to the Business Portal. Each user that is requesting access to the Business Portal will need to complete this form. The Business or Security must start the process for each end user. 
    • Visit the RMV's Community Portal, click on the home page, under Download Forms, click on the applicable form, complete the form and upload completed form on the community portal.   

  • MOVEitTM Access Request Form  

    • This form is used to select the transmission method for your file delivery. 
    • Visit the RMV's Community Portal, click on the home page, under Download Forms, click on the applicable form, complete the form and upload completed form on the community portal.   

  • MOVEitTM End User Request Form 

    • This form is used to create End User credentials for the End User(s) that will need access to MOVEitTM solution for file pick up. 
    • Visit the RMV's Community Portal, click on the home page, under Download Forms, click on the applicable form, complete the form and upload completed form on the community portal.   

If you would like to review the documents, please use the links below.  

File Specifications

Once approved for receiving Excise Commitment Files, you will be sent the file specifications. 

Delivery Method

Excise Commitment files are delivered using the RMV’s Secure File Transfer Process (SFTP) MOVEit.  You are required to download your file from MOVEit for processing in your own system to create Excise Bills. 
 
For more detailed information on the RMV’s Secure File Transfer Process (SFTP), please refer to the MOVEit section. 

Excise Tax Commitments are delivered every two months starting in January with the last commitment being delivered in November.  Refer to the Excise Tax Commitment Schedule. 

Business Portal Access 

Business Portal: This real-time free service facilitates individual users logging into a web-based portal displaying native RMV screens. A Business and Security contact person are designated to be the contact for their end users. 

Depending on the type of access you have the Business Portal gives you the ability to: 

  • Inquire on drivers and vehicles 
  • Recommit excise to another town 

  • Update customer’s garaging address 

Each user that would like access to the Business Portal must complete a RMV Business User Request form and must have signed an Access Agreement.

Resources

Contact Us

Questions on the Excise Program and/or using the Business Portal 
Atlas.municipalities@dot.state.ma.us  

Business Portal Access or Password Issues 
Rmvbusinesspartners@dot.state.ma.us 

MOVEit Access or Questions 
cots_application_support@dot.state.ma.us 

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