With an approved budget of $2.2 billion, the New York State government will benefit nearly 3 million New Yorkers through the School Tax Relief (STAR) program, which is divided into phases.
The initial phase provided STAR benefits to eligible homeowners and seniors who had school tax due dates in June and July. Consequently, homeowners with school tax due dates between August and October were also eligible.
Deliveries will continue throughout the fall based on local school tax due dates, with some recipients having already received their tax exemption.
Governor Kathy Hochul announced the beginning of the second phase of the STAR benefit season. The New York governor has expressed an interest in financially supporting families in her state due to rising inflation and thus the cost of living.
How is the STAR stimulus payment divided?
Most eligible homeowners will receive a check for $350 to $600. This assistance will be determined based on the value of the property, and in the case of a property owned by two or more people with an annual income of $500,000 combined. This support is known as Basic STAR, and one of the requirements is that applicants be under the age of 65.
People who apply for the Enhanced STAR program will receive a check ranging from $700 to $1,500, which is primarily aimed at older adults (65 years of age or older) with an annual income of less than $250,000, either individually or in combination if there are multiple owners. “The STAR program provides much-needed school tax relief to millions of New York homeowners, and it is in full swing,” the governor said.
What are the main beneficiary areas of New York with the STAR program?
Long Island is the community with the largest number of beneficiaries, with a total of 582,000 families receiving a total of $698.4 million. The area with the lowest population density is North Country with 88,000 families receiving support for a total of $47.2 million. Among the 10 areas divided in New York, the benefits corresponding to the Basic and Enhanced STAR program will be distributed.“At a time of financial uncertainty due to Republican funding cuts in Washington, my administration is putting money back in the pockets of families by sending checks and credit cards to hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the state,” With the second phase of the STAR benefits already underway, hundreds of thousands of households are receiving checks and credits of up to $1,500 under Democrat approval of the Senate in collaboration with Governor Hochul. These initiatives reflect the dedication to putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking New Yorkers.
