March 1 deadline looms for limited-income seniors’ property tax exemption

Friday, March 1 is the deadline for seniors of limited income to apply for the limited income seniors’ property tax exemption.

To qualify for the property tax exemption: 

• The property must be owned by person(s) who are 65 years of age or older by Dec. 31 of the year of application. 
• The property must be the primary residence of all owners.
• The owner(s) must have owned property in New York State for at least one year prior to the March 1 taxable status date of the year of application.

In Riverhead, the current income limits and sliding scales for the following taxing jurisdictions appear below. These limits are “subject to change,” the assessor’s office says.

The Riverhead assessor’s office said property owners must provide copies of both federal and state income tax returns for the tax year 2022. If no 2022 income tax return is filed, copies of all 1099s for tax year 2022 must be submitted.

There are no extensions of time to file the application.

Anyone with questions or who needs assistance may visit the assessors office at Riverhead Town Hall, 4 West Second Street, first floor, or call 631-727-3200 Ext. 255.

For more information and for information about other property tax exemptions, visit the Riverhead Town assessor’s web page.

March 1 is also deadline for Enhanced STAR exemption application

Seniors who receive the STAR property tax exemption — as opposed to the STAR credit as a check or direct deposit to their bank — have until March 1 to apply for the enhanced STAR property tax exemption.

Seniors receiving a STAR credit do not need to take action. The state tax department will automatically upgrade them to Enhanced STAR if they qualify, according to the Office of the State Comptroller.

Basic STAR exemption recipients who turn 65 this year and meet the eligibility requirements (see below) should apply to their assessor for the Enhanced STAR exemption, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a press release Monday.

To be eligible to upgrade from the Basic STAR property tax exemption to the 2024 Enhanced STAR property tax exemption:

• the property must be the primary residence of at least one age-eligible owner;
• all owners of the property must be at least age 65 as of December of the year of the exemption, except where the property is jointly owned by only a married couple or only siblings, in which case only one owner needs to meet the age requirement; and
• the combined incomes of all owners (residents and non-residents)—and any owner’s spouse who resides at the property—must have been equal to or below $98,700 in 2022.

To apply, seniors must provide the following to the assessor:

• Form RP-425-IVP, Supplement to Form RP-425-E, and
• Form RP-425-E, Application for Enhanced STAR Exemption.

Correction: This article has been corrected an error that conflated the limited income seniors’ tax exemption with the enhanced STAR property tax exemption. These are two separate programs, with different eligibility standards and require the filing of different application forms. Both exemptions share the March 1 deadline.