AGENCY TESTIMONY
Improvements in property tax exemptions administration
3:00:56
·
139 sec
Commissioner Niblack provides a detailed explanation of improvements made to the administration of property tax exemptions, highlighting efforts to simplify the process and increase accessibility for eligible New Yorkers.
- Simplified income definition for eligibility determination across four senior and disabled programs
- Outreach to over 19,000 households, resulting in 32,100 new property owners receiving exemptions
- Achievement of processing all completed applications received by March 15th deadline for inclusion in June tax bills
- Introduction of the personal exemptions administration team and acknowledgment of their efforts
Preston Niblack
3:00:56
The second item I would like to highlight is a suite of improvements in the area of property tax exemptions.
3:01:01
As you know, the Department of Finance administers personal tax exemptions that significantly reduce the cost of housing for vulnerable New Yorkers.
3:01:08
These include the senior citizen homeowners exemption and disabled homeowners exemption, which serve nearly 5,102,600 residents respectively.
3:01:18
Additionally, the rent freeze program serves nearly 61,000 households, with nearly 50,000 receiving the senior citizen rent increase exemption, scree, and 11,000 receiving the disability rent increase exemption, 3.
3:01:32
We are continuously seeking to help New Yorkers apply and qualify for these benefits.
3:01:36
As you'll recall, last year, we got legislation enacted in Albany to greatly simplify the income definition used to determine eligibility for all 4 senior and disabled programs.
3:01:48
Beginning last December, we reached out to over 19,000 households to encourage them to apply or reapply, and due to these efforts, 32 100 new property owners will receive senior citizen or disability exemptions in the upcoming tax year.
3:02:04
One of our goals this year was that any homeowner who submitted a completed application by the March 15th deadline would see their exemption on their Q1 statement of account in June.
3:02:13
By introducing automated processing enhance enhancements, and through the hard work of our personal exemptions administration team, I'm pleased to report that we achieved our goal, and that every homeowner whose application was approved will see their exemption on their June tax bill.
3:02:28
And if I may, I wanna take a moment to introduce to you the personal exemptions administration team.
3:02:32
These are the people who work every day to make sure that people get their exemptions, to process them, to and to make sure that, they are done in a timely fashion.
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The team is led by assistant commissioner Pierre DeJean.
3:02:45
And if everyone would just stand up for a minute.
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All of you.
3:02:48
Everybody.
3:02:51
Thank you.
Jeffrey Shear
3:02:53
They do a terrific job.
Justin Brannan
3:02:56
Thank you.
3:02:56
Thanks for all you do.
Preston Niblack
3:02:58
They do a terrific job, and I just wanna, you know, give them a little public acknowledgement.
Justin Brannan
3:03:02
I'm sorry your your boss dragged you out here.
Preston Niblack
3:03:06
Otherwise, they would have just, you know they they they process all the, exemption applications, so they really have nothing left to do right now.
3:03:14
I'll pay for that later.
3:03:15
Anyway, the 3rd customer service I'd like to mention item I'd like to mention is our continued outreach to New Yorkers in all five boroughs, led by our assistant commissioner, Jackie Gold, who's also here.
