Residents must reapply for STAR credit

FINGER LAKES—The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is requiring residents who receive the basic New York State School Tax Relief (STAR) exemption to reapply by Dec. 31, 2013.
The STAR Program provides an exemption from school taxes for owner-occupied, primary residences where the combined 2012 income of the owners and spouses who reside on the property does not exceed $500,000. Senior citizens with combined 2012 incomes that do not exceed $81,900 may qualify for an enhanced exemption.
The state will begin mailing registration letters to property taxpayers who received the school tax exemption on the 2013 assessment roll. In the region, the notices should go out the last week in August.
Homeowners will be instructed to reapply online or by phone by Dec. 31. Owners will have to verify their salaries, social security numbers and primary residence. The registration will not affect this year’s tax bills which normally go out at the end of August. This program will not affect the Enhanced STAR. Senior citizens are required to register every year in order to qualify, and they should continue to reapply as they have in the past.
For any property owner who has purchased a house after March 1, 2013, or moved into a home they already owned, they should apply for the STAR exemption with the local assessment office. Residents with questions regarding a new application can contact the assessor, or the county real property tax office.
For more information, or questions visit www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star13.htm.