By ANTHONY BOTTAN
That is why Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes Donald X. Clavin hosted a forum for taxpayers last Thursday to help residents understand their tax bills and figure out if they are eligible for any exemptions.
Held at the village hall, Clavin¹s main objective was to clarify the often confusing tax bills and government-speak. ³Your taxes shouldn¹t be a mystery,² he said.
Clavin, a third generation Valley Streamer, discussed several exemption programs homeowners may be eligible to receive. The New York State School Tax Relief program, also known as STAR, offers some exemption on school property taxes for people who are New York State residents and live in and own their primary residence. The ³Basic² STAR exemption can be applied for from September to December, regardless of age or income. The ³Enhanced² STAR exemption, which is also applied for during the same period, is only for seniors who have adjusted gross incomes of less than $70,650.
But what is considered adjusted gross income? The Federal Government defines income as your wages, interest on savings and investment earning. Clavin said the difference between the two exemptions are the savings. ³While the Basic will give you $200 to $500 in savings, the Enhanced will give you $1,000-plus in saving,² Clavin said.
The stipulation for homeowners who receive the Basic STAR exemption is that they now must apply for their property tax rebate check by Nov. 30. Originally, rebate checks were sent to homeowners without an application, but Clavin said this was recently changed by Gov. Spitzer. Homeowners who receive the Enhanced STAR exemption do not have to apply for their rebate checks.
To make sure that homeowners have not been accidentally removed from the STAR program, Clavin said to double check the middle of the yellow (general)tax bill, which states how much was saved through STAR.
The senior citizen tax exemption offers up to a 50 percent reduction on county, town, highway and school taxes, depending on the homeowner¹s income. The homeowner must be at least 65 years old and have an income not exceeding $35,400. Clavin said the only way to increase the income requirement for the senior exemption is through lobbying to local representatives.
³Call up Assemblyman Barra and Sen. Skelos and ask them to support an increase in the income number,² Clavin said.
Volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers also can receive an exemption that gives a 10 percent reduction in property taxes. Applicants must have five years of certified service and live in the Town of Hempstead. Those with more than 20 years of service can qualify for a lifetime exemption. Clavin said the reason these exemptions are offered is to encourage volunteerism in local fire departments, as many are facing a decline in membership
Veterans can also receive exemptions as well as the surviving spouse. The only stipulation is that the spouse cannot remarry or be divorced from the veteran.
Homeowners renovating their homes may also receive an exemption, which lets residents pay a reduced tax bill over eight years if the renovation increases the property value by $3,000 to $80,000. ³The idea is to have people invest in their property,² Clavin said. However, if homeowners renovate their homes, the village assessment will definitely increase, which will then impact property taxes.
When Clavin asked the crowd of about 50 residents if they think Nassau County assessed the value of their homes correctly, no one raised their hand. Clavin said homeowners can hire a lawyer to challenge the assessment or do it themselves. Beware, Clavin said, of hiring a lawyer because most firms charge 50 percent of what the reduction to the home is, plus a $30 application fee. If homeowners want to challenge the assessment themselves, Clavin said, they should go around their neighborhood and find houses comparable to theirs that were sold for less or are valued less according to the Nassau County tax rolls.
But how do homeowners find houses like theirs? Clavin said go to a realtor¹s office or the library, which often keep records of property sales in the community. Take that information and go to the Nassau County Web site and under property search, put the address of thecome up, and homeowners can use that value to challenge the assessed value of their own homes. According to Clavin, Nassau County has given out $80 million in refunds over the last year.
³That demonstrates that the assessment numbers are wrong,² Clavin said.
Clavin urged homeowners to challenge their assessments if they felt the assessment of their property was too high. ³You cannot be punished for challenging an assessment,² Clavin said.
Mayor Ed Cahill was in attendance at the forum and was happy that residents were able to have their tax bill questions answered. ³It gives them an overview of the assessment process,² he said, ³and allows them to prepare for what they need and what is available under the state.
