NY STAR checks are on the way. Find out when you’ll receive yours

STAR benefit checks and exemptions reflected on school property tax bills are starting to fill New Yorkers' inboxes and mailboxes and will continue to do so through the end of the year.

The state's School Tax Relief, or STAR, program gives eligible homeowners a break on school property taxes. Depending on a household's location, the taxes are due in summer, fall or winter months annually, which also rings true for when homeowners receive the benefit.

Here’s what to know about the STAR program and how it might apply to you.

When should you expect your STAR benefit?

If you qualify for a STAR exemption, it will be reflected on your tax bill, which could appear anywhere from late August to December, depending on where you live.

According to the State Department of Taxation and Finance, the bulk of the STAR benefits are delivered in the fall, starting in September.

If you receive a STAR credit check instead, you’ll be getting one soon in most regions of the state, unless you are among the "very few" eligible New York homeowners to receive the check during the summertime. Those residents live within school districts where school taxes must be paid during the summer months, hence the early benefit, according to a state spokeswoman.

Want to know when your check is supposed to show up? Use this New York state tool to look up the delivery schedule for your area at https://www8.tax.ny.gov/SCDS/scdsStart . Eligible homeowners in Monroe County, for example, are set to receive STAR benefits between late August and mid-September.

Different municipalities will have varied due dates for school property taxes. To find out when your school property taxes are due, consult your city, town, village or school district.

If your STAR check has not arrived and your due date to pay your school property taxes has passed, contact the Department of Taxation and Finance through your Online Services Account or by calling the office at (518) 457-2036 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

STAR Credit Direct Deposit program

In June, the STAR Credit Direct Deposit program was rolled out statewide after being piloted last year in Suffolk and Nassau counties on Long Island.

“STAR Credit Direct Deposit is the fastest and easiest way to receive your STAR credit payment,” says New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller. “It works hand-in-hand with other changes we’re making to improve the STAR program for homeowners.”

If you choose to enroll in the voluntary program, you'll receive your STAR credit more quickly than those who don't.

However, if you enroll less than 15 days before your STAR credit is issued, you will receive this year's credit through a check sent to the mailing address on file.

Find out more about the STAR Direct Deposit program at https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/star-direct-deposit.htm.

What's the difference between the STAR exemption and check?

The STAR benefit program provides eligible homeowners with a break on their property taxes through an up-front savings that comes directly off their tax bill — the STAR exemption — or a “credit,” which comes as a check or direct deposit.

The state requires that new homeowners be issued a check instead of an exemption. In order to receive an exemption currently, homeowners must have owned their home since 2015, according to state law.

Homeowners can switch from an exemption to a check or direct deposit, and those who opt to do so could see the value of their STAR savings increase annually because, by law, the STAR credit can increase by as much as 2% each year, according to the state. The value of STAR exemptions cannot increase.

STAR benefits also break down by demographic.

Basic STAR recipients must:

• Own and occupy a primary residence in New York
• Make under $500,000 or under per household for the STAR credit, and $250,000 or under for the STAR exemption

Seniors are eligible for Enhanced STAR if they are:

• 65 or older
• Own and occupy a primary residence in New York
• Make $98,700 or less for the 2024-25 school year

About 2.26 million New Yorkers benefited from Basic STAR and 670,000 received Enhanced STAR benefits in 2022, according to the state Department of Taxation and Finance.

To register for STAR or to switch how you receive your benefit, go to tax.ny.gov/star .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NY STAR checks are on the way. Find out when you’ll receive yours