New York’s Star Property Tax Credits Update
Residents across New York are receiving Star property tax credits as the state continues its mailings.
The State Department of Taxation has provided resources for residents to check the status of their checks. You can find out if your local government has begun receiving these payments and look up related information online.
For instance, residents in Clay, who are part of the Liverpool School District, can expect their Star checks to arrive between late August and mid-September. This timeline applies similarly to those in DeWitt and Cicero, who are linked to the Jamesville-Dewitt and North Syracuse school districts, respectively.
Earlier this year, the state already dispatched the first credit checks to several areas where school taxes are due in June and July. This includes major cities like New York City, Yonkers, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse, with deliveries wrapped up by July.
The state has indicated that checks will be sent out before school tax deadlines, provided they have all the necessary information. If you’re not eligible for Star Credit or the state lacks required details, you’ll receive a notification letter instead.
Star stands for the School Tax Relief program. Initially, it offered a reduction in homeowners’ property taxes owed to local school districts. However, in recent years, this initiative has shifted towards providing credits rather than direct reductions.
This change means that instead of a preemptive deduction on your tax bill, residents will now wait to receive a check from the state.
The Basic Star program offers an exemption on the first $30,000 of a home’s total value from school property taxes for primary residences. The income cap for this program is set at $500,000.
As for Enhanced Star, it provides significant benefits for seniors over 65. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the income limit will be $107,300, with the program exempting the first $86,100 of a home’s total from school property taxes.
Importantly, these Star benefits only apply to school district taxes and exclude county, town, or city taxes—except in specific cities like New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Yonkers, and Syracuse. In these five locations, some exemptions extend to city taxes as well.
