Photo of a 2022 Homeowner Tax Rebate Check received on June 3 by WSJ Reporter Jimmy Vielkind, photo from Twitter
By Dan Murphy
As part of a NYS budget deal agreement reached in April, about 2.5 million NY homeowners will receive a rebate check for the property taxes, as part of the Homeowner Tax Rebate check program.
While the checks were set to be mailed out in the fall, homeowners can expect the checks to come this month (June). Governor Kathy Hochul’s spokesperson, Hazel Crampton-Hays explained the timing saying, “Gov. Hochul worked with the Legislature to secure tax relief for New Yorkers in the state budget, and given rising costs and national inflation, the Department of Tax and Finance has been working to deliver these benefits to eligible homeowners as quickly as practicable and not delay relief at a time when so many New Yorkers are struggling.”
Governor Hochul who is running for re-election this year, including a democratic primary for Governor on June 28, has been accused of playing politics with the rebate checks. One of Hochul’s democratic opponents, Long Island congressman Tom Suozzi called it bribery.
“This is just the newest demonstration of what a phony she is. She’s bribing the voters before the election … if it’s not illegal, it should be illegal,” said Suozzi. “Kathy Hochul’s cynical attempt to buy primary votes does nothing to address the fact that NYS has the highest taxes in the country . She’s worried about losing the primary, and w/ failing grades on crime, taxes, economy, the Buffalo Bills and Brian Benjamin, she should be.
Accompanying the checks will be a memo that reads, “Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature are providing you this Homeowner Tax Rebate Check that you can use to pay your property taxes.” Most New Yorkers won’t be reading the top of the check. They will be quick to tear off the stub and deposit the check.
Prior NY Governor’s including republican George Pataki and democrat Andrew Cuomo have used different kinds of tax rebates check to improve their chances at re-election.
The $2.2 Billion program was adopted to help New York homeowners struggling economically from COVID and inflation.
How much each NY homeowner will get will depend on their families income and whether they receive the STAR program. The check is in addition to the STAR and enhanced STAR rebate programs.
Visit the NYS Department of Finance at this link https://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/property/homeowner-tax-rebate-credit.htm to determine your eligibility. New Yorkers with earnings of less than $250,000 will receive a rebate check ranging from $110.00 to $1000.00, based on their 2002 State income tax filings.
One reason that the checks were planned for the fall was to coincide with the payment of school property taxes by NY homeowners. Those earning less than $75,000 will receive the most rebate -$1000.00.
In April when she announced a State budget deal, Hochul said, “Outside of New York City, the average benefit will be nearly $970.”
The person who broke the news that the checks were coming out early was Wall Street Journal reporter Jimmy Vielkind, who received his check in the mail on June 3, and Tweeted, “Instead of arriving three weeks before the November election, my New York state property tax rebate check has this year arrived three weeks before the primary election. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, as always. #VoteTammany“
