If you’re a homeowner in the county of Nassau or Suffolk, be on the lookout for your STAR registration letter. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced letters went out to 268,000 Nassau County homeowners in late September and are on their way to 290,000 Suffolk County homeowners this week.

The letter was sent to all homeowners currently receiving the Basic STAR exemption, which provides for partial exemption from school property taxes – a savings of as much as $1,000.

Homeowners have been ask to register with the State in order to continue receiving the exemption in 2014 and thereafter, even if homeowners have previously applied. This request does not apply to senior citizens receiving Enhanced STAR.

The request is part of the Governor’s reform initiative to protect New Yorkers from fraud and waste in the STAR Program.

The deadline to re-register is December 31, 2013 at the Tax Department website. Each letter includes the Basic STAR code that is necessary to register.

The Basic STAR exemption is offered to owner-occupied, primary residences where the combined income of resident owners and their spouses is $500,000 or less. The first $30,000 of the full value of a home is exempt from school taxes. The exemption applies to school district taxes only.

Homeowners applying for STAR for the first time must file form RP-425, “Application for School Tax Relief Exemption,” with the town assessor.

[Source: The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance]