* § 1444. Exemptions. 1. The following shall be exempt from the
payment of the real estate transfer tax:

(a) The state of New York, or any of its agencies, instrumentalities,
political subdivisions, or public corporations (including a public
corporation created pursuant to an agreement or compact with another
state or Dominion of Canada); and

(b) The United Nations, the United States of America or any of its
agencies or instrumentalities.

2. The tax shall not apply to any of the following conveyances:

(a) Conveyances to the United Nations, the United States of America,
the state of New York, or any of their instrumentalities, agencies or
political subdivisions (or any public corporation, including a public
corporation created pursuant to agreement or compact with another state
or the Dominion of Canada);

(b) Conveyances which are or were used to secure a debt or other
obligation;

(c) Conveyances which, without additional consideration, confirm,
correct, modify or supplement a deed previously recorded;

(d) Conveyances of real property without consideration and otherwise
than in connection with a sale, including deeds conveying realty as bona
fide gifts;

(e) Conveyances given in connection with a tax sale;

(f) Conveyances to effectuate a mere change of identity or form of
ownership or organization where there is no change in beneficial
ownership, other than conveyances to a cooperative housing corporation
of the real property comprising the cooperative dwelling or dwellings;

(g) Conveyances which consist of a deed of partition;

(h) Conveyances given pursuant to the federal bankruptcy act;

(i) Conveyances of real property which consist of the execution of a
contract to sell real property without the use or occupancy of such
property or the granting of an option to purchase real property without
the use or occupancy of such property;

(j) Conveyances of real property, where the entire parcel of real
property to be conveyed is the subject of one or more of the following
development restrictions:

(1) agricultural, conservation, scenic, or an open space easement,

(2) covenants or restrictions prohibiting development,

(3) a purchase of development rights agreement,

(4) a transfer of development rights agreement, where the property
being conveyed has had its development rights removed,

(5) said real property is subject to the development restriction of an
agricultural district or individual commitment, pursuant to article
twenty-five-AA of the agriculture and markets law,

(6) real property subject to any locally adopted land preservation
agreement, provided said exemption is included in the local law imposing
the tax authorized by this article;

(k) Conveyances of real property, where the property is viable
agriculture land as defined in subdivision seven of section three
hundred one of the agriculture and markets law and the entire property
to be conveyed is to be made subject to one of the development
restrictions provided for in subparagraph two of paragraph (j) of this
subdivision provided that said development restriction precludes the
conversion of the property to a non-agricultural use for at least three
years from the date of transfer, and said development restriction is
evidenced by an easement, agreement or other suitable instrument which
is to be conveyed to the town simultaneously with the conveyance of the
real property; or

(l) Conveyances of real property for open space, parks, or historic
preservation purposes to any not-for-profit tax exempt corporation
operated for conservation, environmental or historic preservation
purposes.

(m) Conveyances of real property to any tax exempt corporation,
incorporated pursuant to the not-for-profit corporation law or the
private housing finance law, where said conveyance is for the purposes
of providing affordable housing opportunities within the town and such
corporation is incorporated for the purposes of providing housing
opportunities. For the purposes of this paragraph, "affordable housing"
shall mean housing opportunities exclusively for town residents whose
income is at or below the median income for the town.

3. In the town, an exemption of two hundred fifty thousand dollars
shall be allowed on the consideration of the conveyance of improved real
property or an interest therein and an exemption of one hundred fifty
thousand dollars shall be allowed on the consideration of the conveyance
of unimproved real property.

4. Primary residential property purchased by one or more persons, each
of whom is a first-time homebuyer shall be exempt from the payment of
the real estate transfer tax provided that:

(a) the primary residential property is within the purchase price
limits defined by the state of New York mortgage agency low interest
rate mortgage program in the non-target one family categories for
Suffolk county in effect on contract date for the sale of such property;
and

(b) the buyer's household income does not exceed the income limits
defined by the state of New York mortgage agency low interest rate
mortgage program in the non-target, one and two person household
category for Suffolk county in effect on the contract date for the sale
of such property.

5. Such exemption shall be granted only upon application by the owner
of such building on a form prescribed by the town. The application shall
be filed with the town. If satisfied that the applicant is entitled to
an exemption pursuant to this section, the town shall approve the
application and the conveyance of such primary residential property
shall be exempt from the real estate transfer tax imposed by this
article.

* NB Repealed December 31, 2025