The School Tax Relief Program (STAR) credit lowers property taxes for eligible New York State homeowners.
Heads Up
You must register with the New York State Tax Department (https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/homeowner-benefit-portal.htm) to receive a STAR creditYou only need to register once to automatically receive your credit each year as long as you remain eligibleGet your STAR savings in the form of a check or direct deposit directly from New York StateIf you already receive the STAR exemption, you can switch to the STAR credit in the Homeowner Benefit Portal (https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/homeowner-benefit-portal.htm) There are two benefit levels based on your household income:Basic STAR is for homeowners with total household income of $500,000 or less and reduces your taxes by about $293Enhanced STAR is for homeowners 65 and older with total household income of $98,700 or less and reduces your taxes by about $650Older adults who get Enhanced STAR may also qualify for the (https://access.nyc.gov/programs/senior-citizen-homeowners%CA%BC-exemption-sche/) Senior Citizens Homeowners' Exemption (SCHE), which provides additional property tax savings.
Eligibility
You're eligible for Basic STAR if you:
Own your homeLive in it as your primary residenceHave a combined household income of $500,000 or lessYou're eligible for Enhanced STAR if you also:Are age 65 or olderHave a combined household income of $107,300 or less for 2025 benefits or $110,750 or less for 2026 benefitsNew York State uses your tax return from two years earlier to determine eligibility. For 2026 STAR, that's your 2024 return.See additional eligibility details (https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/star/eligibility.htm#residence) for married couples, surviving spouses, and other special cases.
Required Documents
You'll need the following to register:
Names and Social Security numbers for all property owners and spousesYour school district nameProperty purchase date and seller namesYour tax returns from two years ago (i.e. 2023 for the 2025 STAR credit or 2024 for the 2026 STAR credit)Most recent school tax bill (if you have one)Address of any out-of-state residential property you ownLegal trust name (if applicable)
How to Apply
Visit the New York State Tax Department's Homeowner Benefit Portal to register for the STAR credit.
Log in (https://my.ny.gov/LoginV4/dtfportal.xhtml) to your Individual Online Services account or create one.Select the ≡ Services menu in the upper-left corner of your screen, then choose Real property tax.Select Homeowner Benefit Portal from the expanded menuSelect Register and follow the prompts to register for the STAR credit.
Online
Visit the New York State Tax Department's Homeowner Benefit Portal to register for the STAR credit.
Log in (https://my.ny.gov/LoginV4/dtfportal.xhtml) to your Individual Online Services account or create oneSelect the ≡ Services menu in the upper-left corner of your screen, then choose Real property taxSelect Homeowner Benefit Portal from the expanded menuSelect Register and follow the prompts to register for the STAR credit
Get Help
Visit the STAR website (https://www.tax.ny.gov/star/) for more information.Email the (http://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/about/contact-by-email/contact-exemptions-inquiries.page) NYC Department of Finance (http://www1.nyc.gov/site/finance/about/contact-us.page) if you have questions about STAR.Find a DOF center to get help in person.Call the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at 518-457-2036 for more information about the New York State STAR tax credit.Call 311 to find out more.
