Message from the Mayor: Reminder to file for property tax breaks
Posted on: April 23, 2016 - 12:01pm
Fellow Residents,
The end of budget season is a good segue to discussing what you may be able to do to ensure you are taking advantages of programs out there to keep your taxes low. YOU MUST APPLY FOR THESE PROGRAMS BY MAY 2ND.
Basic STAR Program
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Regardless of your age, as long as your property is your primary residence, you can apply for this NY State-sponsored program (for “School Tax Relief”) that provides a rebate on your school taxes. If you’ve moved within the last year (and make less than $500,000 as a family) and you haven’t signed up for STAR, or have never signed up for STAR, this is a significant tax rebate and you need to sign up right away. The deadline to apply with the Town of Greenburgh Assessment Department is May 2, 2016. Current residents signed up for STAR see lower taxes reflected in their tax bill. (You may refer to the top line of your School Tax bill to see if you are already enrolled in the STAR program and for the amount of savings you receive.) Those signing up this year will see it in the form of a rebate check. Sign up for this once and you’re good until you move or make over $500,000. Go here.
Enhanced STAR
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If you’re over 65 and meet certain income eligibility requirements (all owners adjusted gross income minus IRA distributions less than $84,550 in 2014), you may be eligible for Enhanced STAR which is just like STAR except, as the name hints, it gives you even more of a tax break on school taxes. You have to sign up for this annually because of the income verification requirement. Don’t forget. The form is the same: your answers to questions 4 & 5 determined your eligibility. Here.
You need to submit a renewal application annually.
Senior Partial Tax Exemption
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Like with Enhanced STAR, this tax break is income-based and provides a nice break if your income qualifies you – your 2015 gross income amount must fall below $37,399. If your income is low enough so that you do not need to submit a federal or state income tax form, you’re likely eligible. You need to submit a renewal application annually for this exemption as well. If you think you may qualify please bring your complete 2015 Federal Tax Return along with all of your supporting documents to the Assessment Department in Greenburgh Town Hall. for review. The application can be filled out at their offices.
Volunteer Fire and Ambulance
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If you’ve been in the Fire Department or Ambulance for five years or more, you can apply for a Fire and Ambulance exemption as well. You have to reapply every year (until you reach twenty years of service, at which point it is grandfathered in) to remain in good standing with this break. The exemption is equal to 10% of your assessed value. Here
Veterans
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Veterans need only apply once to enjoy the Veterans tax break from that point forward. This, too, is a significant reduction of a possible 15% savings of assessed value, which lowers your school and town taxes. If you are a Veteran of war, whether you served during a period of wartime or not, bring your Honorable Discharge Papers (DD214) to the Assessment Department and complete an application there.
These programs are not mutually exclusive – you can enjoy several of these benefits at once as long as the property is your primary residence. They have the potential for saving you significant money – even thousands of dollars – and you are entitled to these rebates if you are eligible.
The deadline to apply with the Town of Greenburgh Assessment Department for ALL exemptions is May 2, 2016. The links should be sufficient, and if you have any questions call the Town of Greenburgh Assessment Department: 914- 989-1520.
The Town reassessment has hit many people hard. The Town Assessor, Edye McCarthy, will appear before the Hastings Board of Trustees at our meeting on Tuesday, May 3rd to discuss the steps the Town has considered to try to ameliorate the worst of the reassessment’s impact.
Sincerely,
Peter Swiderski
Mayor