ALBANY – New York this year plans to change how the STAR exemption program works for new homeowners.

New homeowners — or people who move — will receive a check for a portion of their school-property taxes instead of receiving it as an upfront savings in their tax bill. That’s a major change for the $3 billion program since it was started in 1997. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature agreed to do it as part of the state budget deal April 1.

“STAR is a tax-relief program so this change is to achieve consistency with how other state tax cuts are provided,” Cuomo’s budget spokesman Morris Peters said. “There is no change to the amount of the STAR credit for taxpayers, only the mechanism used to claim the credit.”

Here’s how the changes may affect you:

What if I don’t move?

Then you have nothing to worry about.

You will still get your STAR exemption as an upfront savings when you pay your schools taxes each fall.

Households with income under $500,000 are eligible for STAR. They get an exemption from the first $30,000 of the full value of their primary home from school taxes.

Homeowners 65 and older get a larger tax break for Enhanced STAR: The first $65,300 of their home value is exempt from school taxes.

The qualifications are not changing.

Enhanced STAR exemption recipients who are not enrolled in the Income Verification Program must continue to file a renewal application with their local assessor each year to remain in the program.

So what is changing?

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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo talks to media members outside his office at the state Capitol on Wednesday, March 30, 2016, in Albany, N.Y. Cuomo says legislative leaders have agreed to a $150 billion state budget plan that includes a minimum wage hike and $1 billion in middleclass income tax relief. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) 

ALBANY — New homeowners in New York will receive a rebate check for a portion of their school-property taxes instead of receiving it as an upfront savings in their tax bill.

The change was a compromise on the issue reached between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature as part of the state budget deal last week.

“STAR is a tax-relief program so this change is to achieve consistency with how other state tax cuts are provided,” said Cuomo’s budget spokesman Morris Peters. “There is no change to the amount of the STAR credit for taxpayers, only the mechanism used to claim the credit.”

Originally, Cuomo’s sought to require new homeowners to pay their taxes upfront and get the STAR rebate on their school taxes when they file their income taxes.

In the budget deal, new homeowners or people who move will get a rebate check each fall for the portion of their school taxes covered by STAR. Then they would have to claim the money on their income taxes the following year.

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EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY – the Nassau County Recording fees increased by $150.00.

The new Block Verification fee is $300.00 (formerly $150). The County Clerk will charge the new amount Monday December 7, 2015.

The Tax Map Verification fee paid to the Assessor’s office is also increasing from $75.00 to $225.00. Start date may be January 1, 2016, BUT the local law has not yet been posted and cannot be reviewed.

Increase in Fees for Suffolk County Tax Map Verification

Suffolk County passes Local Law 34-2015 increasing tax map verification fee
Local Law 34-2015 increases the tax map verification fee from $60 to $200 per tax lot, effective December 18, 2015.   Note that there is no maximum or cap in the case of multiple lots, and that any documents that are re-submitted on or after December 18th.

Agents collecting the increased fee for closings that occur prior to the effective date of December 18, 2015, should ensure that refunds are made in the event that the verification process occurs prior to December 18th, and the old rate is applied to your closing documents.