The School Tax Assessment Relief
WHAT IS STAR?
The School Tax Assessment Relief (STAR) program offers property tax relief to eligible New York State homeowners. If you are eligible and enrolled in the STAR program, you'll receive your benefit each year in one of two ways:
- STAR credit. If you are registered for the STAR credit, the Tax Department will issue your STAR benefit via check or direct deposit. You can use your STAR benefit to pay your school taxes. You can receive the STAR credit if you own your home and it's your primary residence and the combined income of the owners and the owners' spouses is $500,000 or less.
- STAR exemption: a reduction on your school tax bill. If you've been receiving the STAR exemption since 2015, you can continue to receive it for the same primary residence. As long as you remain eligible, you'll see a reduction on your school tax bill for the amount of your STAR exemption. Note: The STAR exemption is no longer available to new homeowners.
STAR (School Tax Assessment Relief)
You will become eligible for the STAR credit in the first year that you own the home, and it is your primary residence as of the date that school taxes are due. This is only for homeowners who just purchased a home.
Example 1: If the school taxes in your community are due by September 30, and you purchase the home on September 15, you will become eligible for STAR that year, as long as you Register for the STAR credit and meet the eligibility criteria.
Exception: If the prior owner had been receiving a STAR exemption on the home, and the sale occurred after the local taxable status date (generally March 1), their STAR exemption will be carried over to your first school tax bill, and you will begin receiving the STAR credit the following year.
Frequently Asked Question's
Q: I used to receive the STAR exemption on my school tax bill, but I bought a new home. Why do I have to get a STAR credit instead of the exemption?
A: The law does not allow STAR exemptions to be transferred to newly purchased homes. The STAR credit is available to homeowners in your situation.
Q: I purchased my home last year and I received the STAR exemption on my first school tax bill. Do I need to register?
A: Yes. The reason you received the STAR exemption on your first school tax bill is because the previous owner of your home was granted the STAR exemption. Their exemption remained in place in the first year you owned the home, but you are not entitled to keep their STAR exemption beyond that. You must register for the STAR credit to receive a STAR
benefit in the future.
Q: If I currently receive the STAR exemption but would like to switch to the STAR credit, what should I do?
A: If you want to receive the STAR credit instead of the exemption, it may be to your advantage. However, once you switch to the STAR credit, you cannot switch b
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