ALBANY, NY — The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said today that more than 2 million qualified homeowners statewide have now registered for the STAR property tax exemption. The deadline is December 31.
“STAR saves homeowners an average of $700 every year, but time is running out,” said Commissioner Thomas H. Mattox. “If you’re eligible and haven’t registered yet, take a little time from your busy holiday schedule and register today. It only takes between 2 and 4 minutes to complete the process online.”
The Tax Department, which has hosted more than 200 in-person registration events across the state, has directly mailed at least once all of the nearly 2.7 million New York homeowners who claimed the exemption last year. In November, the Department sent reminder postcards to 900,000 who had not yet registered.
The registration is a one-time process – assuring that homeowners will get the Basic STAR exemption in 2014, and beyond. Senior citizens receiving the Enhanced STAR exemption are not impacted by the new registration program.
The Basic STAR exemption is available on the primary residence of homeowners with incomes under $500,000. The registration stems from a Tax Department investigation that found thousands of taxpayers receiving STAR exemptions on more than one property.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo included the initiative in the 2013-14 State Budget. He directed the Tax Department to develop a user-friendly system to eliminate inappropriate exemptions while making it simple for eligible homeowners to maintain their STAR benefits.
Register online or by phone
To register, visit www.tax.ny.gov or call 518-457-2036. Online information is available in six different languages and translators stand ready to assist via telephone. The Department is offering extended STAR Hotline hours through December 31 – 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. weekdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Municipalities with the Highest Percent Registered
Municipalities with the Highest Number of Unregistered Basic STAR Recipients
List of registration by municipality