The Money Mustache Community
Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: Pizzabrewer on September 25, 2019, 01:53:48 PM
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We've only been homeowners in NYS for 3 years so my data set is scant. Yet I seem to remember the STAR rebate checks coming in the beginning of September. We haven't seen it yet this year.
Has anyone gotten theirs?
TIA.
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It seems to depend on your county.
https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/star-check-delivery-schedule.htm
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Yes, a few days ago. Usually it's right before Election day, what a coincidence.
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Yes, we received ours a couple of weeks ago. This is our first year with the house so I don't have any other years to compare against for the timing.
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Yes, in Broome County.
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Is this STAR checks (for new homeowners who can no longer get the auto STAR exemption directly on their school tax bills), or just the Property Tax Relief checks?
I've received the latter one, but our STAR is already handled on our school tax bill. I see that NYS is trying to get everyone to drop out of that exemption program and pay their whole school tax bill OOP, with the threat that the STAR exemption will stay fixed going forward (losing ground to inflation) but getting STAR refund checks *ought* to increase with inflation.
Anyone drop out of the STAR exemption in favor of the STAR refund checks? I'm leery - these Property Tax Relief checks fluctuate too much to rely on, this feels like a great way to phaseout the STAR program altogether sometime in the future.
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Anyone drop out of the STAR exemption in favor of the STAR refund checks? I'm leery - these Property Tax Relief checks fluctuate too much to rely on, this feels like a great way to phaseout the STAR program altogether sometime in the future.
I think the politicians prefer to move the program over to a direct check versus money netted off of the tax bill because voters more directly recognize a check they get in the mail compared to a discount on a bill where people pay the total and don't really review the discounts in detail. I think there might also a requirement to sign up on the proper website to be eligible for the STAR checks - they might be hoping a bunch of people just don't bother signing up so then the state doesn't need to pay those people.
I signed up to get the STAR checks. If they stop the STAR program, they won't just stop it for people who get the checks so I'd rather have the growing amount in the meantime compared to a frozen amount off the tax bill.