Senator Carlucci Introduces Bill to Speed Up & Improve STAR Rebate Process

PRESS RELEASE – To address the lateness of STAR rebate checks owed to New York homeowners, Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) will introduce a bill to speed up and improve the rebate check process. Carlucci’s legislation adds a 5 percent fee to rebate checks issued after October 30 and an additional monthly fee for every month late, assuming the homeowner has met all application deadlines. Slow distribution of rebates has forced homeowners throughout the state to make tax payments as advances on these rebates, leaving many families unfairly financially extended for an uncertain period of time.

“If homeowners have to pay taxes by deadlines, then the state has to meet deadlines when giving people their own money back,” stated Senator Carlucci. “It is extremely unfair to tell people at the beginning of the year to expect a rebate on their school taxes and then force them to make the payments because it took too long to print a check.”

There is currently a soft deadline for the State must issue the checks “on or before September 30, or as soon as practical.” Carlucci’s legislation would remove the ‘or as soon as practical’ clause making September 30 a hard deadline and add 5 percent to any check issued over one month late and add on an additional 1 percent for every month late after that.

“The state has to be held accountable to meet deadlines because every dollar matters to taxpayers. People pay enough in school taxes and should not have surprise payments at the end of a year they had planned to get a rebate,” Carlucci concluded.