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S3817Senate2017-2018 SessionSame asA3146

Raise Senior Tax Exemption Limits

Official title

“Relates to income requirements for the real property school tax exemption granted to certain persons sixty-five years of age or over”

Sponsor Kenneth P. LaValleSD-1Affects Health
Status
In Senate Committee
Aging
Impact
5/10
Moderate
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Aging

What's happening

This bill raises the income limit for senior citizens' school tax exemptions in high-appreciation municipalities to $50,000.

Why it matters

  1. Expanding eligibility for senior tax relief in expensive areas. By raising the income cap to $50,000 for seniors in "high-appreciation municipalities," more older homeowners in places with rapidly rising property values can qualify for school tax exemptions—helping them remain in their homes as local taxes increase.

  2. Targeted definition of “high-appreciation municipality”. The bill specifically benefits municipalities where home prices and tax burdens have grown faster than average, using criteria like consecutive years of high sales price differentials. This ensures the higher income limit is focused on areas where seniors are most likely to be “priced out.”

  3. Potential local impact and flexibility. Local governments in qualifying areas must still opt in by passing their own laws or resolutions, so the bill empowers communities to decide whether expanding these exemptions fits local needs and budgets.

  4. Addresses social and economic pressures on seniors. The change recognizes that in many high-cost communities, even moderate fixed incomes are not sufficient to offset rising property taxes, helping prevent displacement and enhancing financial stability for aging residents.

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Who cares

  • Homeowners age 65 or older in high-appreciation municipalities

    They could qualify for the senior property tax exemption with income up to $50,000 if their local government or school district adopts that limit.

  • County, city, town and village governing boards

    Qualifying jurisdictions would gain authority to set the exemption’s income ceiling at $50,000 rather than $29,000.

  • School boards in qualifying districts

    Districts wholly or partly within a county meeting the bill’s STAR sales price differential criteria could adopt the higher income ceiling for the exemption.

Headline styles

Raise Senior Tax Exemption Limits

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Kenneth P. LaValle

Senator · Senate District 1

Chair, Higher Education

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Print number 3817a
  2. Amend and recommit to aging
  3. Referred to aging
  4. Referred to aging

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A3146Assembly

Expand Senior Tax Exemption

In Assembly Committee · Aging · Sponsor Fred Thiele

Impact 5 · Moderate0% to pass

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

S. 3817--A A. 3146--A

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

SENATE - ASSEMBLY

January 27, 2017

IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging -recommitted to the Committee on Aging in accordance with Senate Rule

6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Aging -- recommitted to the Committee on Aging in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the real property tax law, in relation to income requirements for the real property school tax exemption granted to persons sixty-five years of age or over in high-appreciation municipalities

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of section 467 of the real property tax law, as separately amended by chapters 131 and 279 of the laws of 2017, is amended to read as follows:

(a) if the income of the owner or the combined income of the owners of the property for the income tax year immediately preceding the date of making application for exemption exceeds the sum of three thousand dollars, or such other sum not less than three thousand dollars nor more than twenty-six thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand six, twenty-seven thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand seven, twenty-eight thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand eight, twenty-nine thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand nine, [and] in a city with a population of one million or more fifty thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand seventeen, and fifty thousand dollars beginning July first, two thousand seventeen in a county, city,

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD04112-02-8

S. 3817--A 2 A. 3146--A

town, village or school district which is a "high-appreciation municipality", as may be provided by the local law, ordinance or resolution adopted pursuant to this section. For purposes of this paragraph, a "high-appreciation municipality" means: (i) a special assessing unit that is a city, (ii) a county for which the commissioner has established a sales price differential factor for purposes of the STAR exemption authorized by section four hundred twenty-five of this title in three consecutive years, and (iii) a city, town, village or school district which is wholly or partly located within such a county. Income tax year shall mean the twelve month period for which the owner or owners filed a federal personal income tax return, or if no such return is filed, the calendar year. Where title is vested in either the husband or the wife, their combined income may not exceed such sum, except where the husband or wife, or ex-husband or ex-wife is absent from the property as provided in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (d) of this subdivision, then only the income of the spouse or ex-spouse residing on the property shall be considered and may not exceed such sum. Such income shall include social security and retirement benefits, interest, dividends, total gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset which may be offset by a loss from the sale or exchange of a capital asset in the same income tax year, net rental income, salary or earnings, and net income from self-employment, but shall not include a return of capital, gifts, inheritances, payments made to individuals because of their status as victims of Nazi persecution, as defined in P.L. 103-286 or monies earned through employment in the federal foster grandparent program and any such income shall be offset by all medical and prescription drug expenses actually paid which were not reimbursed or paid for by insurance, if the governing board of a municipality, after a public hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor. In addition, an exchange of an annuity for an annuity contract, which resulted in non-taxable gain, as determined in section one thousand thirty-five of the internal revenue code, shall be excluded from such income. Provided that such exclusion shall be based on satisfactory proof that such an exchange was solely an exchange of an annuity for an annuity contract that resulted in a non-taxable transfer determined by such section of the internal revenue code. Furthermore, such income shall not include the proceeds of a reverse mortgage, as authorized by section six-h of the banking law, and sections two hundred eighty and two hundred eighty-a of the real property law; provided, however, that monies used to repay a reverse mortgage may not be deducted from income, and provided additionally that any interest or dividends realized from the investment of reverse mortgage proceeds shall be considered income. The provisions of this paragraph notwithstanding, such income shall not include veterans disability compensation, as defined in Title 38 of the United States Code provided the governing board of such municipality, after public hearing, adopts a local law, ordinance or resolution providing therefor. In computing net rental income and net income from self-employment no depreciation deduction shall be allowed for the exhaustion, wear and tear of real or personal property held for the production of income;

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the real property tax law, in relation to income requirements for the real property school tax exemption granted to persons sixty-five years of age or over in high-appreciation munici- palities

Purpose

To provide high appreciation municipalities with the opportunity to elect to increase the income eligibility level for the real property school tax exemption granted to persons sixty five years of age or over.

Summary of provisions

Paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of section 467 of the real property tax law is amended to provide "high appreciation municipalities" with the opportunity to elect to increase the income eligibility level to $50,000 for the real property school tax exemption granted to person sixty five years of age or over beginning July 1, 2017. For the purposes of the paragraph a "high appreciation municipality" is defined as: a) a special assessing unit that is a city; b) a county for which the Commissioner has established a sales price differential factor for purposes of the STAR exemption authorized by section 425 of this title in three consec- utive years and c) a city, town, village or school district which is wholly or partly located within such county.

Justification

This legislation would allow a "high appreciation municipality" to adopt a local law, ordinance or resolution to increase the income eligibility level for the real property school tax exemption granted to persons sixty five years of age or over from $29,000 to $50,000 beginning July 1, 2017. Under current law, these areas include Long Island, New York City and the Hudson Valley. Under the State STAR program, the maximum income level for the Enhanced STAR benefit for senior citizens is $84,550. It is long over-due that the income eligibility for the senior citizen property tax exemption be increased in "high appreciation muni- cipalities" that elect to do so.

Legislative history

2016 S.6868/A.9408

Fiscal implications

TBD.

Effective date

Immediately.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.