County Will Not Accept Prepayment Of 2018 Property Taxes

WHITE PLAINS, NY — While some municipalities are considering or saying that property taxes for 2018 can be prepaid in total or partially, Westchester homeowners will not be able to pay in advance in hopes to save money. Ned McCormack, senior advisor to County Executive Robert Astorino, said the county will be unable to comply.

“In Westchester, the collection of property taxes is the responsibility of local municipalities. A number of municipalities are saying people can pre-pay their 2018 property taxes based on their 2017 bills and reconcile any discrepancies next year. Although this may be an option for some people, ultimately, the question of deductibility will be decided by the IRS,” McCormack said.

He said Westchester County has looked into the feasibility of having residents pre-pay their county taxes, but it is just “not possible for the county to issue its 2018 tax warrants to localities within the next four days for a whole host of legal, operational and practical reasons.”

By law, the county can only issue one complete warrant for the 259,034 properties across all of Westchester’s localities and special districts, McCormack said.

“There is no way to do this responsibly by the end of the year given all of the laws that the county must follow under Westchester’s charter and the U.S. tax code, as well as a host of other variables and unknowns,” he said.

On Friday, Dec. 23, President Donald Trump signed the tax reform bill that caps the deductibility of state and local taxes at $10,000, which in effect raises property taxes and reduces home values in New York and in state across the country.

As a result, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an Executive Order authorizing local governments to immediately issue tax warrants for the collection of 2018 property tax payments. The order also allows property owners to pay at least a portion of their bill before the end of the year and under the current tax construct.

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