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Thiele to Cuomo: Suspend tax exemption renewals

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) has appealed to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for a one year suspension of the requirement that seniors and people with disabilities have to re-register to receive  tax exemptions.

Section 467 of the New York State Real Property Tax Law provides a property tax exemption, through local governments, for senior citizens and persons with disabilities who meet certain income and other requirements.

To qualify for the exemptions, the law requires filing an annual renewal application, generally in person at the local assessor’s office. But Mr. Thiele noted in a letter to the governor, that in-person practice poses a health risk at a time when COVID-19 cases are spiking. Those required to renew in person are very apt to be those most vulnerable to the illness, he said.

Through an executive order, the governor could suspend the filing this year and allow localities to extend the tax exemptions  without a filing at local assessors’ offices as is generally the practice.

In a letter to the governor, Mr. Thiele urged him to act and temporarily rescind the filing requirement this year. 

“It is only logical that the state afford appropriate protections to vulnerable populations, and suspend this renewal requirement while allowing qualifying property owners to continue to receive this beneficial tax exemption they have been getting,” Mr. Thiele said.

“Failing to do so will only put seniors and persons that could be immuno-compromised at an unnecessarily increased risk of contracting the virus,” he said.