Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 12 — TAXATION · Chapter 203 — Property Tax Assessment
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-57 (2026)

Certificates of correction. Application for refund

✓ current as of May 2026
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(a) When it has been determined by the assessors of a municipality that tangible personal property has been assessed when it should not have been, the assessors shall, not later than three years following the tax due date relative to the property, issue a certificate of correction removing such tangible personal property from the list of the person who was assessed in error, whether such error resulted from information furnished by such person or otherwise. If such tangible personal property was subject to taxation on the same grand list by such municipality in the name of some other person and was not so previously assessed in the name of such other person, the assessor shall add such tangible personal property to the list of such other person and, in such event, the tax shall be levied upon, and collected from, such other person. If such tangible personal property should have been subject to taxation for the same taxing period on the grand list of another municipality in this state, the assessors shall promptly notify, in writing, the assessors of the municipality where the tangible personal property should be properly assessed and taxed, and the assessors of such municipality shall assess such tangible personal property and shall thereupon issue a certificate of correction adding such tangible personal property to the list of the person owning such property, and the tax thereon shall be levied and collected by the tax collector. Each such certificate of correction shall be made in duplicate, one copy of which shall be filed with the tax collector of such municipality and the other kept by the assessors in accordance with a records retention schedule issued by the Public Records Administrator.

(b) When it has been determined by the assessors of a municipality, at any time, that a motor vehicle registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles has been assessed when it should not have been, the assessors shall issue a certificate of correction removing such vehicle from the list of the person who was assessed in error, and, if such vehicle should have been subject to taxation for the same taxing period on the grand list of another municipality in this state, the assessors shall promptly notify, in writing, the assessors of the municipality where the vehicle should be properly assessed and taxed, and the assessors of such municipality shall assess such vehicle and shall thereupon issue a certificate of correction adding such vehicle to the list of the person owning such vehicle, and the tax thereon shall be levied and collected by the tax collector. Upon the issuance of a certificate of correction, any person taxed in error may make application in writing to the tax collector for the refund of the erroneously collected amount pursuant to section 12-129.

(1949 Rev., S. 1733; 1955, S. 1045d; 1961, P.A. 24, S. 1; P.A. 86-153, S. 3, 5; P.A. 99-189, S. 8, 20; P.A. 22-74, S. 15.)

History: 1961 act extended section's application to all tangible personal property instead of only motor vehicles, extended length of time for issuing a certificate to one year subsequent to date tax was paid and made issuance of a certificate within the time limit mandatory in all situations listed, including any time when property has been mistakenly assessed; P.A. 86-153 amended the provision for removal of personal property from a person's list, in which such property is included in error, by adding the phrase that a certificate of correction shall be issued “whether such error resulted from information furnished by such person or otherwise”; P.A. 99-189 deleted a portion of existing provisions, designated remaining portion as Subsec. (a), required certificate of correction to be issued not later than three years following the tax due date, added provisions re tangible personal property subject to tax on same grand list in the name of another person, and added new Subsec. (b) re certificates of correction for motor vehicles, effective June 23, 1999, and applicable to assessment years of municipalities commencing on or after October 1, 1999; P.A. 22-74 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re application for refund of erroneously collected amount, effective July 1, 2022.

See Sec. 12-126 re abatement or refund of tax on tangible personal property assessed in more than one municipality.

Cited. 195 C. 587; 200 C. 697, 711; 212 C. 639.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1985–2021 · leading case: Nat'l CSS, Inc. v. City of Stamford, 489 A.2d 1034 (Conn. 1985).
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Nat'l CSS, Inc. v. City of Stamford, 489 A.2d 1034 (Conn. 1985). · cites it 22× “, General Statutes §§ 12-57,12-112,12-119. It specifically chose not so to restrict claims arising from “clerical omission[s] or mistake[s] in the assessment of taxes” by allowing such actions to be brought “at any time.”
Tirado v. City of Torrington, 179 A.3d 258 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 21× “3 On February 10, 2014, the plaintiff filed a complaint in the judicial district of Waterbury, claiming that the defendant issued a certificate of change after the three year statutory limit set forth in General Statutes § 12-57. 4 On March 3, 2014, the defendant filed an…”
City of Norwich v. Town of Lebanon, 513 A.2d 77 (Conn. 1986). · cites it 2× “2d 1034 (1985), we held that the failure of a taxpayer to apply for a certificate of correction pursuant to General Statutes § 12-57 to correct an erroneous assessment of personal property within the period of one year allowed by the statute barred resort to the similar common…”
Ne. Datacom, Inc. v. City of Wallingford, 563 A.2d 688 (Conn. 1989). · cites it 2× “” This coupled with the fact that there is now provision in a companion statute for the inclusion on the assessor’s list of “tangible personal property” belonging to nonresidents; see General Statutes § 12-43; and provision for the removal from the list of erroneously included…”
Wilton Campus 1691, LLC. v. Wilton, 339 Conn. 157 (Conn. 2021). · cites it 2× “See General Statutes § 12- 53 (c) (1) (assessor has three years following assess- ment date to audit and revalue omitted personal prop- erty); General Statutes § 12-57 (a) (three years following tax due date to correct overvaluation of personal prop- erty); General Statutes §…”
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