For the 2023-2024 tax year, as a result of state legislation and local laws adopted by the Islip Town Board on Oct.18, 2022, the maximum income eligibility level for eligible senior citizens and persons with disabilities to obtain a 50 percent real property tax exemption on the Town of Islip portion of their tax bill has increased from $29,000 to $50,000.

For incomes that do not exceed $58,400, there is a sliding scale of exemptions.

A few school districts, including Bayport-Blue Point, have increased their maximum income eligibility to $29,000 level, with a lower sliding scale of exemptions available for incomes that do not exceed $37,400.      

With the Second Notice Law, the town was mandated to notify approximately 87,000 residential property tax owners about the senior citizen exemption. As a result, postcards were sent on Monday, Jan. 30.  

“This required annual mailing is not targeted to senior citizen but to all residential property owners. Our language and format was picked up by at least one other Assessor’s Office; Smithtown was one,” said a representative of the town.  

For the past three years, the Assessor’s Office has received a report from the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Office of Real Property Tax Services in the fall, advising the office of senior citizen property owners who may qualify for the senior citizen exemption based upon tax information submitted to the state.    

Eligibility for senior citizens of persons with disabilities exemptions for the 2023-2024 tax year include:

Ownership of primary residence;

For senior eligibility, you must be at least 65 as of Dec. 31, 2023/for persons with disabilities, you must submit proof disability; and

The combined 2021 income of the property owners does not exceed $58,400. 

Upon confirming eligibility, a Senior Citizen Exemption application (RP-467), or Persons with Disabilities Exemption application (RP-459-c), together with certain proof including your 2021 income, must be filed  with the Assessor’s Offices no later than March 1, 2023. 

Persons with disabilities may submit 2021 or 2022 income, and one of the following proofs of disability: award letters from Social Security Administration, Railroad Retirement Board, United States Postal Service, United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or certificate from the New York State Commission for the Blind.       

Exemption applications and instructions are available at:  islipny.gov/departments/assessor

Completed forms should be submitted to: Assessor’s STAR Office, 40 Nassau Avenue, Suite 2, Islip, New York 11751.