Many kids in the U.S. don’t want to go back to school, but the beginning of a new school year may mean a new check. In fact, it’s a big plus for a lot of people who live in New York, the Empire State.
Those of you who live in New York State who qualify can get property tax help through the School Tax help (STAR) program. The goal of this project is to help people with their finances so that they can make their school tax payments more easily.
What are these checks in New York for?
It looks like STAR credit checks will soon be sent to people all over New York State again. This means that people who qualify can look forward to some money off.
“If you sign up for the STAR credit, the Tax Department will send you a check or direct deposit with your STAR benefit.” Pay your school taxes with the money from STAR. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance says that you can get the STAR credit if you own your home, live in it as your main home, and your total income with your spouse or spouses is less than $500,000.
Help yourself out by using this helpful app to lower your school taxes. Make sure you’re signed up for the STAR program and that you are qualified to get financial help through it.
Through the STAR program, people who qualify can get help with their school property taxes, which is a great benefit. STAR is a very important way for many people to get help. It is calculated every year based on assessed property value and user income.
Types of STAR Exemptions
There are two types of STAR exemptions:
- Basic STAR
- Enhanced STAR
Enhanced STAR Income Limits
The income limits for people who want the Enhanced STAR exemption are changed every year. The most you can earn with Enhanced STAR in 2024 is $98,700. This cap will go up to $107,300 in 2025.
Delivery of STAR Benefits
STAR benefit checks are usually sent out from August to December, with September being the month when most people get their money. You might get it this month if you did it on time and meet the requirements.
Eligibility and Distribution
About 2.26 million people in New York were eligible for Basic STAR benefits in 2022, and about 670,000 people got Enhanced STAR benefits. No matter if you apply for Basic or Enhanced STAR, the amount of help you get varies by school district.
People in different parts of New York State got different amounts of money last year. For example, people in the Albany area got an average of $1,885, while some people on Long Island got as much as $2,695.
STAR Credit and Exemption Savings by County
A better piece of news is that New Yorkers are getting tax refund checks thanks to the STAR program. Homeowners all over the state have saved a lot of money thanks to this program.
How Much Could Your Check Be if Eligible?
To find out how much you might save, go to the link below, click on your county, and then scroll down to find your township and school district:
https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/comparison/
- Albany County
- Allegany County
- Broome County
- Cattaraugus County
- Cayuga County
- Chautauqua County
- Chemung County
- Chenango County
- Clinton County
- Columbia County
- Cortland County
- Delaware County
- Dutchess County
- Erie County
- Essex County
- Franklin County
- Fulton County
- Genesee County
- Greene County
- Hamilton County
- Herkimer County
- Jefferson County
- Lewis County
- Livingston County
- Madison County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Nassau County
- New York City
- Niagara County
- Oneida County
- Onondaga County
- Ontario County
- Orange County
- Orleans County
- Oswego County
- Otsego County
- Putnam County
- Rensselaer County
- Rockland County
- St. Lawrence County
- Saratoga County
- Schenectady County
- Schoharie County
- Schuyler County
- Seneca County
- Steuben County
- Suffolk County
- Sullivan County
- Tioga County
- Tompkins County
- Ulster County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Westchester County
- Wyoming County
- Yates County
Don’t miss out on potential savings! Visit this website: https://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/orpts/star.htm to fill out the STAR exemption forms and see how much you can save on your property taxes.