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Frequently Asked Questions:
Question: What is STAR?
Answer : STAR is
Governor George Pataki’s School Tax Relief Program that
provides a partial exemption from school property taxes.
All New Yorkers who own and live in their one-, two-, or
three-family home, condominium, cooperative apartment,
manufactured home, or farm dwelling are eligible for a
STAR exemption on their primary residence.
There are two parts to the STAR
program:
• The Basic STAR exemption is available for
owner-occupied, primary residences regardless of the
owners’ ages or income. Basic STAR works by exempting
the first $30,000 of the full value of a home from
school taxes.
• The Enhanced STAR exemption is available for the
primary residences of senior citizens (age 65 and older)
with yearly household incomes not exceeding the
statewide standard. For qualifying senior citizens, the
Enhanced STAR programs works by exempting the first
$50,000 of the full value of their home from school
property taxes. For property owned by a husband and
wife, or by siblings, only one of them must be at least
65 years of age as of December 31 of the year in which
the exemption will begin in order to qualify for the
Enhanced exemption. Their combined annual income,
however, must not exceed the STAR income standard.
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Question: How do I get
my Basic STAR tax cut?
Answer :You must file
an application with your local assessor. The application
has been made as simple as possible. Property owners who
are granted the Basic STAR exemption generally will not
need to reapply in subsequent years because the Basic
STAR exemption is granted regardless of income. However,
Basic STAR recipients will need to notify their assessor
if their primary residence changes.
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Question: How do I get
my Enhanced STAR tax cut?
Answer : You must file
an application with your local assessor. Senior citizens
applying for the Enhanced STAR exemption must
demonstrate that the combined income of all of the
owners of the property, and of any owner’s spouse who
resides on the premises, is no greater than the income
standard for the applicable income tax year. You may do
this in one of two ways:
• Option 1
– Traditional method: Submit a copy of your income
tax return(s) for the appropriate income tax year to the
assessor with your STAR application by the application
deadline each year.
• Option 2
– STAR Income Verification Program:
Supply your Social Security Number(s) and authorize the
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to
verify your income eligibility each year. If you choose
this option, you do not need to submit an application
and copy of your tax return(s) to the assessor every
year. To choose this option, in the initial year you
must complete form RPV-425-IVP and submit it to the
assessor along with a traditional STAR application and
the necessary income tax return(s) by the application
deadline.
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Question: When
can I grieve my assessment?
Answer : If you believe
your assessment is incorrect, you may contact the City
of Schenectady Assessor’s Office to arrange for an
informal review. Please come prepared to illustrate your
disagreement of the assessment. There is a presumption
that the assessment made by the assessor is correct. The
“burden of proof” lies with the property owner and all
information which supports your opinion should be
presented at the review.
If you are not satisfied with the determination made by
the assessor after the informal review process, a
complaint may be filed with the City of Schenectady
Board of Assessment Review. The dates for filing the
complaint form are between May 1st and the 4th Tuesday
in May. Grievance Day is the 4th Tuesday in May of each
year.
What are key dates affecting the assessment process?
• Valuation Day – July 1 of the prior year.
• Exemption Filing Deadline – March 1 is the last
day for filing all exemption applications for the
current year. Applications may be filed subsequent to
March 1, effective for the following year.
• Taxable Status Date – March 1 is the date
property is valued according to ownership and condition
each year.
• Tentative Roll Filed – May 1.
• Grievance Day – 4th Tuesday in May.
• Final Roll Filed – July 1.
More
information regarding tax exemptions can be found at
www.orps.state.ny.us
under the "Tax Policy and Exemptions" heading.
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