Senior Citizen Homeownersʼ Exemption

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.

Applications must be postmarked by March 15th for benefits to begin on July 1st each year
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 must be 65 years of age or older, unless the property is owned by spouse or sibling, who doesn’t need to meet this age requirement
Determine the borough, block, and lot (BBL) for your property

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2. Determine Your Eligibility

2. Determine your eligibility

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

Are all owners 65 years of age or older, OR is the property owned by spouse or sibling, who doesn’t need to meet this age requirement?
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.

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.

For each person applying, any one document:

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

For each income source of each income earner, any one document:

Wages & Salary

Income tax return
W-2 form

Unemployment Income

1099-G

Social Security Benefits (SSI, Dependent, Disability, Survivor’s, or Retirement)

Correspondence from Social Security Administration
Current award letter or certificate
Current benefit check

Pensions, Annuities, or IRA

1099-R

Interest, Dividends, or Royalties

1099-DIV
1099-INT

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4. How to Apply

4. How to apply

Here are your options.

Download the initial exemption application and fill it in.
You will be asked provide the borough, block, and lot (BBL) for your home. You can use the Property Address Search to determine this.
Gather your required documents and include them with your application. Your application will not be processed without them.
Mail your completed application and required documents to:
New York City Department of Finance
P.O. Box 311
Maplewood, NJ 07040-031
Applications must be postmarked by March 15 for your benefit to begin on July 1 in the same year.

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Tax benefit for senior homeowners

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

1. How it Works

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More ways to get help with this program

2. Determine your eligibility

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3. What you need to include

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4. How to apply

Here are your options.

More ways to get help with this program

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