The STAR benefit checks and exemptions listed on school property taxes are starting to fill New Yorkers’ inboxes and mailboxes and will continue to do so through the end of the year.
The state’s School Tax Relief program, or STAR, gives eligible homeowners a rebate on school taxes. Depending on a household’s location, the taxes are due annually in the summer, fall, or winter months, which is also when homeowners receive the rebate.
Here’s what you need to know about the STAR program and how it may apply to you.
When can you expect your STAR benefit?
If you qualify for a STAR exemption, it will appear on your tax bill, which can appear anywhere from late August to December, depending on where you live.
According to the Ministry of Taxation and Finance, the majority of STAR benefits are paid out in the fall, starting in September.
If you’re getting a STAR credit check instead, you’ll get one soon in most regions of the state, unless you’re among the “very few” eligible New York homeowners who get the check in the summer. Those residents live in school districts where school taxes are due during the summer months, hence the early benefit, a state spokeswoman said.
Want to know when your check is expected? Use this New York State tool to look up your area’s delivery schedule at www8.tax.ny.gov/SCDS/scdsStart. Eligible homeowners in Monroe County, for example, receive Star payments between late August and mid-September.
Different municipalities have different due dates for school property taxes. To find out when your school property taxes are due, check with your city, town, or school district.
If your STAR check has not arrived and the due date for your school property taxes has passed, please contact the Tax and Finance Department through your Online Services Account or by calling the office at (518) 457-2036 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
STAR Credit Direct Deposit Program
In June, the STAR Credit Direct Deposit program was rolled out statewide, after being piloted last year in Suffolk and Nassau counties on Long Island.
“STAR Credit Direct Deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive your STAR Credit payment,” said Amanda Hiller, acting commissioner of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. “It works hand-in-hand with other changes we’re making to improve the STAR program for homeowners.”
If you decide to participate in the voluntary program, you will receive your STAR points faster than people who do not.
However, if you register less than 15 days before your STAR credit is due, you will receive this year’s credit in a check mailed to your registered mailing address.
Learn more about the STAR Direct Deposit program.
What is the difference between the STAR exemption and the check?
The STAR Benefits Program offers eligible homeowners a reduction in their property taxes through either an advance deducted directly from their tax bill — the STAR exemption — or a “credit,” which is provided in the form of a check or direct deposit.
The state requires new homeowners to get a check instead of an exemption. To receive an exemption currently, homeowners must have owned their home since 2015, according to state law.
Homeowners can switch from an exemption to a check or direct deposit, and those who choose to do so can see the value of their STAR savings increase annually because, by law, the STAR credit can increase by as much as 2% each year, according to the state. The value of STAR exemptions cannot increase.
STAR benefits are also broken down by demographic.
Basic STAR receivers must:
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Owning and Living in a Primary Home in New York
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Earn less than $500,000 or less per household for the STAR Credit, and $250,000 or less for the STAR Exemption
Seniors are eligible for Enhanced STAR if they:
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65 years or older
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Owning and Living in a Primary Home in New York
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Earn $98,700 or less for the 2024-2025 school year
According to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, approximately 2.26 million residents received Basic STAR benefits in 2022 and 670,000 received Enhanced STAR benefits.
To register for STAR or change the way you receive your benefits, visit tax.ny.gov/star.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY STAR checks are on the way. Find out when you’ll get yours
