On August 7th 1997, the School Tax Relief Exemption was signed into law.  Because of the School Tax Relief Program, there is an opportunity to continue saving on school taxes.   Any homeowner with an existing exemption will still be able to continue receiving the exemption, however starting in 2016, new applicants won’t be able to receive the exemption.  There are requirements in order to be eligible.  As of December 31st 2017, the applicant must be at least 65 years of age. For example, if the property is owned by a married couple or siblings, only one person who owns the property needs to be 65 by December 31st, 2017.  Even if a child who attends public school lives in the home of an applicant of the program, they are still eligible for the exemption as long as other requirements are met.

Proving your residency is a must when applying for the exemption.  In order to prove your residency, there are several documents that can be examined. Be sure to note that one single document won’t completely establish your primary residency.  Some of the documents that are acceptable are driver’s license, automobile registration, voter registration card, mailing and property address matches, New York State Income Tax return, Utility bills, and Social Security Statement.

There is an income limit.  For 2017 the income limit is $86,000.  Keep in mind, the amount of combined income of each owner of the property does affect whether or not the owners of a property can receive the exemption.  In this case, the income is actually adjusted gross income.  Adjusted Gross Income is gross income minus personal exemptions and itemized deductions.

For more information visit    https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/assessorguide.htm#admin