School taxes rose almost $150

I received my STAR refund check in the mail this morning. Of course, it's too late to take it to the bank. Now I won't be able to deposit it until Monday. It was for $1080.66, so that lowers my school taxes to $1463.67.
A friend of mine pays over $5000 in just school tax and that's WITH her STAR exemption (see screen shot). She owns a lot of vacant land which she doesn't even use. I told her she should sell it to lower her taxes, but she just gave me a "mind your own business" look.

v school tax.jpg
 
Have to live somewhere so part of retirement planning included where to live with minimal taxes. The only taxes we pay are state sales taxes on consumer goods & a reasonable property tax that we get a discount on for military service.
 
debodun said:
I received my STAR refund check in the mail this morning. Of course, it's too late to take it to the bank. Now I won't be able to deposit it until Monday. It was for $1080.66, so that lowers my school taxes to $1463.67.
A friend of mine pays over $5000 in just school tax and that's WITH her STAR exemption (see screen shot). She owns a lot of vacant land which she doesn't even use. I told her she should sell it to lower her taxes, but she just gave me a "mind your own business" look.

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Just as an aside bit of info,
if a person sells land, then that would count as taxable income, as far as other types of income tax is concerned. Such as federal income taxes.

And in turn, also raises the amount that will be owed in a future year for Medicare premiums and the seperate Medicare part d medication premiums.

At one time I didn't know this and it had come as a shock, to many people who sell something of value such as property. They found out a year later that their expenses increase for a year, and not having planned for it, have often spent the income by then.

It's a Different issue than this thread's original one, but so many seniors are unaware of this, I thought I would share it, in case it helps someone with a decision or to expect the unexpected expense that occurs later.
 
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I'm surprised the STAR program doesn't have direct deposit. When I looked at the NYS tax page, it indicated that they are going to start that next year, but anyone wanting to enroll in that had to sign up for an account. I tried several times, but it just kept giving me a pop-up that said the info they had on file didn't match what I was entering. Well, I tried.
 
Given that the annual "school year " in NYS is about 180 teaching days, that increase works out to less than a dollar a day that you are personally paying, over the previous year. JimB.
 
debodun said:
I'm surprised the STAR program doesn't have direct deposit. When I looked at the NYS tax page, it indicated that they are going to start that next year, but anyone wanting to enroll in that had to sign up for an account. I tried several times, but it just kept giving me a pop-up that said the info they had on file didn't match what I was entering. Well, I tried.
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Some States do not have direct deposit set up for all of their programs, especially ones that change.
 
I guess too many people want something for nothing. Reading a different forum, there are many in Texas who brag about having no state income tax but complain profusely about property taxes. They conveniently fail to realize that the money has to come from some place for the state/county/city to operate and provide the necessary services.

I would think in just about every state, seniors get a homestead exemption reducing their property taxes.
 
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Muskrat said:
I pay my taxes. And i do not quibble…but darn it my state ranks about 48th or so for schools in the nation…and that drives me friggin crazy…
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So, which US state ranks dead last, in terms of poor educational outcomes for the kids in that State ? JimB.
 
I am talking k-12 public schools. Only new mexico and oklahoma rank lower. The irony of this is a huge semiconductor plant is being built by a foreign company state…they say bringing tons of jobs. But the company now says not enough qualified workers….well no crap Sherlock
 
My town just had an election that included a proposition to build a new recreation facility. Just this one new building would incrrease my property tax by $300 a year. I do not live in a huge, palatial home with a pool, fancy grounds, professional grade kitchen, movie studio room, a guest house in back, etc. etc. etc. I live in a nice Condo of about 1400 sq ft. Also, the $300 a year is just to help run the new facility. Another 100 million dollars comes from the general fund to build it. And, if I want to use it it's about $90 a month or $10 for a daily pass for one person. All the whose-who glitterati in my town were behind it. The voters did not agree it failed with a vote of 60/40.

This is the second time this facility has been on the ballot. One would think they would get the message.
 
Nosy Bee-54 said:
I would think in just about every state, seniors get a homestead exemption reducing their property taxes.
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I do not believe this is correct for all or even most states. . It's low-income seniors who get a break. And when they say low income they really mean LOW income. Lower middle class gets zero, zip, nada property tax relief in my sate.
 

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