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Cash & Expenses

Tax benefit for senior homeowners

Senior Citizen Homeowners' Exemption (SCHE) | NYC Department of Finance

1. How it Works

SCHE gives property tax help to senior homeowners. It lowers the taxes of seniors who own one to three homes, condos, or coop apartments.

  • Apply online by March 15th for benefits to begin on July 1. If March 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.
  • If you live in a co-op, you can apply online using the SCHE co-ops application
  • Requires proof of age, income, and tax deduction
  • If your property qualifies for SCHE and the Disabled Homeowners Exemption (DHE), you will only be granted SCHE; you cannot get both
  • All owners of the property must be 65 or older, unless the owners are spouses or siblings. If you own the property with a spouse or sibling, only one of you must meet this age requirement.
  • You must have owned your property for at least 12 continuous months before you file your application
  • Determine the borough, block, and lot (BBL) for your property
  • The SCHE benefit must be renewed every two years. The Department of Finance will send you a renewal application when it is time to renew your benefit. You must renew your exemption by March 15, or your property taxes could increase significantly

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2. Determine Your Eligibility

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2. Determine your eligibility

To be eligible for SCHE, you should be able to answer yes to all of these questions:

  • Is the property your primary residence?
  • Is the combined income for all owners less than or equal to $58,399?
    • Income does NOT include SSI or Cash Assistance benefits.

All owners of the property must be 65 or older, unless the owners are spouses or siblings. If you own the property with a spouse or sibling, only one of you must meet this age requirement.

Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.

Am I Eligible?

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3. What You Need to Include

3. What you need to include

It’s important to include the right documents when you apply. Your documents show whether the program is right for you.

This page can help you choose the right documents for your application.

Proof of who you are

For each person applying, any one document:

  • Driver license or official photo I.D.
  • Passport
  • Birth certificate (original or certified copy)

Proof of your income

Proof that can help for deductions

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4. How to Apply

4. How to apply

Here are your options.

Apply online

  1. Apply online by March 15th for benefits to begin on July 1st. If March 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.
  2. If you live in a co-op, you can apply online using the SCHE co-ops application.
  3. Use your address or borough, block and lot (BBL), or property address to find your property and start filing the form.

Apply online

Apply by mail

Apply in person

Come back to it later.
We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.

More ways to get help with this program

Visit the website

Visit the SCHE website to learn more.

Email SCHE

If you have questions, email SCHE for more information.

Call 311

Ask for Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption program.

Call SCHE

Call 212-NEW-YORK, or 212-639-9675 for out-of-city, or when using a Video Relay Service (VRS).

Contact SCHE at 212-504-4115 when using TTY or Text Telephone.

Visit an office

Visit a Department of Finance Business Center (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m – 4:30 p.m) to get help in person.

Last Updated Thursday, August 27th, 12:19pm

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