STAR Program

STAR credit check

If you are registered for the STAR credit, the Tax Department will send you a STAR check in the mail each year. You can use the check to pay your school taxes. You can receive the STAR credit if you own your home and it's your primary residence and the combined income of the owners and the owners’ spouses is $500,000 or less.

STAR exemption: a reduction on your school tax bill

If you’ve been receiving the STAR exemption since 2015, you can continue to receive it for the same primary residence. As long as you remain eligible, you’ll see a reduction on your school tax bill for the amount of your STAR exemption. Note: The STAR exemption is no longer available to new homeowners.

If you own your home, it’s your primary residence, and your income is $500,000 or less, you’re eligible for the Basic STAR credit.

If you’re a senior citizen with a qualifying income, you may be eligible for the Enhanced STAR credit.

When you register for the STAR credit, the NYS Tax Department will automatically review your application to determine whether you’re eligible for the Basic or Enhanced STAR credit. As long as you’re eligible, you’ll receive a check for the amount of your benefit.

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Senior Citizens

If you qualify for the Enhanced STAR credit, you only need to register once. If you qualify for Enhanced STAR, you’ll automatically receive a check for the Enhanced benefit. You don’t need to register again in future years.

Note: If you’re a senior citizen, you should also be aware that there is a senior citizens exemption that may reduce your property tax bill if you qualify.

You may be eligible for senior citizen tax exemptions. Senior citizens have until March 1 (towns) or December 1 (cities) to apply for such exemptions. For information, please call or write to your local municipality's assessor's office. See Assessor contact information.

This exemption has different income limits than STAR, and is administered by local assessors, not by the Tax Department. See Senior citizens exemption to learn more.

You can Register for the STAR credit online. You will need to:

• Provide the names and social security numbers for all owners of the property and their spouses.
• Answer a few questions about the income and residency of the owners and their spouses.
• Provide the date you purchased your property and the name of the sellers.

You can also register by calling (518) 457-2036

For more information, visit the New York State Tax Site