New York's school-property-tax relief season is underway, and the useful number is not the statewide total—it is the payment status at your address. The state says nearly three million homeowners will receive more than $2.1 billion through STAR credits and exemptions in 2026.
Who may be affected
The STAR credit is generally available for an eligible primary residence when the combined income of owners and their spouses is $500,000 or less. Enhanced STAR has separate age and income rules. Homeowners who have continuously received the older STAR exemption since 2015 may remain in that system; new homeowners generally register for the credit.
How much and when
The governor's office says most Basic STAR benefits will be $350 to $600 and most Enhanced STAR benefits will be $700 to $1,500. Delivery occurs through summer and fall and varies by school district. Use the Tax Department's delivery-schedule lookup rather than assuming a neighbor's date applies to you.
Direct deposit is not registration
A homeowner can enroll in STAR direct deposit through the Homeowner Benefit Portal, but that step does not create a STAR registration. The Tax Department says enrollment fewer than seven days before a payment is processed may result in a mailed check instead. The governor's office separately recommends enrolling at least 15 business days before the local school-tax due date.
Do not budget a payment you have not confirmed
Benefit amounts, eligibility and delivery depend on the household and property. Confirm the address, ownership information and status in the official portal. If a payment appears late, check the district schedule before treating it as missing or subtracting it from the tax bill.
HomeCostGrid action
Open the official STAR page, verify registration and delivery status, then add the expected benefit and the full school-tax due date to the household calendar. New Yorkers comparing relocation costs can place the confirmed benefit—not a statewide average—beside the property-tax estimate on the New York state page.
