Editor’s note: This notice was provided by Town of Pelham Assessor Joe Battaglia. The Pelham Examiner publishes notices in the form received as a service to the community.

There is a new real property tax relief credit (RPTRC) that was enacted into law in 2021. This credit is an income tax credit that you can claim when filing your 2021 New York State income tax return. If you are eligible, the credit will reduce your tax liability or increase your refund.

The RPTRC is a type of relief program known as a property tax circuit breaker. If a homeowner’s property taxes exceed 6% of their income, they’ll be eligible for the credit if they meet the other requirements. Among the requirements, you must have received the 2021 STAR exemption or STAR credit, and your qualified gross income must be $250,000 or less.

The minimum credit is $250 and the maximum is $350.

More detailed information, along with Form IT-229 (and IT-196 if you itemize), is available on the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance website at https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/credits/real-property-tax-relief-credit.htm

If you e-file your income taxes you shouldn’t need to manually fill out the form or do the calculations, as the software should ensure that you claim the credit if your eligible. If you use a paid preparer then you might want to make sure that they are aware of the credit.

Have additional questions about STAR? The Homeowners’ STAR hotline is 518-457-2036