Cuomo Executive Order Allows Homeowners To Pay Property Taxes Now

President Donald Trump signed the Republican tax plan into law today. And while it will most likely give many Long Islanders a temporary tax cut, nearly all economists agree it will hurt Long Islanders with its big cuts to the State And Local Tax (SALT) deduction.

The sting of dropping the SALT deduction to $10,000 will be felt more in high-tax areas like New York. To help ease that burden, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an emergency Executive Order today that will authorize local governments to immediately issue tax warrants for the collection of 2018 property taxes and allows property owners to pay at least a portion of their bill before the end of the year and under the current tax construct.

"As Washington wages an all-out assault on this state and this nation, I have authorized local governments to allow property owners to pay part or all of their taxes early," Cuomo said. "New York has made unprecedented progress reducing the burden of taxes on our middle-class families, and we will not allow this attack to roll back all that we have achieved. This Executive Order will allow property owners to deduct either part or the full amount of their payment from their federal taxes before the GOP tax bill goes into effect."

Cuomo's executive order has two parts: the first authorized local governments to immediately issue warrants to levy property taxes by the end of the year. Officials should issue warrants for the collection of taxes and deliver them to the local tax collector immediately, and no later than 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 28. This will allow New Yorkers to pay their property taxes for 2018 in the 2017 calendar year and allow localities to accept advance payment so that property owners can deduct the full amount of their payment at the federal level.

The order will also suspend local laws limiting the ability of taxpayers to make partial payment of property taxes until the end of the year. Since many taxpayers do not yet know the exact amount of their bill, this will allow for a portion of taxes to be paid early and under the current federal tax law.

Each local tax collector is now authorized and directed to accept partial payments from property owners until the close of business on Dec. 29. Online payments can be made until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, and payments made by mail that are postmarked on or before Dec. 31 are authorized.

Photo: Gov. Cuomo's Office