Saland Announces Important Information For Property Taxpayers

Senator Steve Saland (R,I,C Poughkeepsie) announced today that legislation he sponsored to extend the deadline for Middle Class STAR rebate applications from November 30, 2007 to December 31, 2007 has been signed into law.

While eligible senior citizens do not have to apply for their rebate checks and should receive their check automatically, eligible non-senior taxpayers must apply to receive their STAR Rebate check, unlike last year. Most eligible taxpayers have already received their application from the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance.

"A number of my constituents have contacted my office concerned about not receiving their application," said Senator Saland. "The State Tax Department is working to straighten out the application glitches. In the meantime, the Legislature extended the application deadline so everyone has an opportunity to get their application in on time and receive their rebate check," Saland continued.

This new law provides homeowners statewide an additional month to apply for their rebate check. Application for the 2007 rebate check cannot be made without a personal identification code, unique to each eligible taxpayer, found on the application. Taxpayers with additional questions can call 1-877-678-2769 or visit Senator Saland’s website at: www.senatorsaland.com and click on Important Property Tax Rebate Information.

Important Note: Taxpayers should also be aware of scam e-mails stating that the sender is an official of the STAR rebate program. According to the fraudulent e-mail, to receive their rebate the resident contacted must provide their date of birth, Social Security number, and a credit card number so their rebate can be processed. Any taxpayer receiving such an e-mail should delete it immediately and not reply with the information requested.