Last updated 2026-07-09
TL;DR
To look up your New York property tax bill by address, start with your county assessor or treasurer website. There is no single statewide bill portal. NYS runs a STAR credit lookup at tax.ny.gov that confirms your STAR benefit by address. Your county bill shows assessed value, exemptions, per-district tax rates, and due dates.
Where do you actually look up a New York property tax bill by address?
New York has no single statewide portal for your actual property tax bill. Taxes get levied and collected at the county and municipal level, so there are 62 counties, each running its own system. Some use in-house portals. Some use third-party platforms. A handful of rural towns still mail paper bills with no online lookup at all.
The state does host two useful tools. The first is the STAR credit lookup at tax.ny.gov, which tells you whether a STAR benefit is registered to your address and how much it's worth. The second is the state open data catalog at data.ny.gov, which carries assessment roll data as a raw dataset rather than a consumer bill viewer [1].
For the bill itself, with payment amounts, due dates, and district breakdowns, you need your county. Here's a table of the most-searched counties with their portal links. If yours isn't listed, search "[county name] county property tax lookup" and click the .gov result, or call the county treasurer.
| County | Portal or system | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York City (5 boroughs) | nyc.gov/finance | Search by BBL or address; bills show all city/school/state charges |
| Nassau | nassaucountyny.gov | Integrated assessment and billing lookup |
| Suffolk | suffolkcountyny.gov | Separate town and county bills |
| Westchester | westchestergov.com | Covers county levy; towns bill separately |
| Erie (Buffalo area) | erie.gov | Includes city/town/village search |
| Monroe (Rochester) | monroecounty.gov | Search by SBL or address |
| Albany | albanycounty.com | Address or parcel search |
| Onondaga (Syracuse) | ongov.net | eTax portal, full bill detail |
| Saratoga | saratogacountyny.gov | Assessment and levy data |
| Dutchess | dutchessny.gov | Real Property Tax Service Agency |
Three caveats matter. New York City runs everything centrally through its Department of Finance, and bills there show four tax classes with different effective rates [2]. In most of the rest of the state, you get two or three separate bills: one from the county, one from your town or village, and one from your school district. One portal often shows only one of them. And in rural towns with paper-only billing, your county Real Property Tax Services office is your only path to a copy.
What information does a New York property tax bill actually show?
A New York property tax bill has five parts: property identification, assessed value, exemptions, tax rates by jurisdiction, and payment terms. An error in any one of them can mean you're overpaying. Reading each line is the fastest way to catch a mistake before you owe.
The top identifies the property: address, parcel number (a Section-Block-Lot or SBL in most counties, a Borough-Block-Lot or BBL in NYC), owner of record, and tax year.
Next is assessed value, and New York uses two numbers here. "Full market value" is the assessor's estimate of what your property would sell for. "Assessed value" is the fraction of that used for tax purposes, and it swings widely because state law lets each town set its own level of assessment (LOA), anywhere from a few percent to 100% [3]. A property assessed at $150,000 in a town with a 50% LOA implies a full market value of $300,000. That gap drives most appeals.
Below the assessed value sit any exemptions: STAR, Enhanced STAR, veterans, agricultural, disability. Each shows the dollar amount it knocks off your taxable assessed value.
The tax rate section lists the rates from every jurisdiction that taxes you: county, town, village, school district, fire district, library, and others. Rates run in dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. Your bill multiplies each rate by your taxable assessed value and totals them.
Last comes the payment section: total due, due dates, and late penalties. New York law requires local governments to mail tax bills at least five days before the first installment is due, under Real Property Tax Law Section 922 [4].
How does the New York City property tax bill lookup work differently?
If you own property in the five boroughs, skip the county systems. The NYC Department of Finance runs its own portal at nyc.gov/finance, where you search by address or BBL and download current and prior-year bills as PDFs [2].
NYC sorts all property into four tax classes, and the rate gaps are big. Class 1 (one-to-three family homes) pays a lower effective rate than Class 2 (larger residential buildings, co-ops, condos) or Class 4 (commercial). For fiscal year 2024-2025, the Class 1 rate was 20.085% of assessed value and Class 2 was 12.267% [2]. The city also caps how fast Class 1 assessed values can climb: no more than 6% in one year and 20% over five years, under NYC Administrative Code Section 11-238.
Here's the part that confuses people. NYC assesses Class 1 property at 6% of market value, so the math looks wrong until you factor in the rate. A Class 1 home the city values at $1,000,000 gets a $60,000 assessed value, taxed at 20.085%, for about $12,051 a year before exemptions.
The Finance portal shows your STAR benefit if it's applied directly to the bill (older registrations). Newer registrations get STAR as a check or direct credit from the state instead, so it won't appear on the bill. If you're not sure which you have, the NYS STAR lookup at tax.ny.gov confirms it by address [5].
How do you find your parcel number (SBL or BBL) if you don't know it?
Most county portals let you search by street address and hand you the parcel number automatically. If you need the number on its own, you have three reliable fallbacks.
Your most recent tax bill or assessment notice prints it at the top. Look for a string of numbers separated by dashes or slashes, labeled "Tax Map ID," "Parcel ID," "SBL," or "BBL."
Your county's Real Property Tax Services (RPTS) office keeps the official parcel database. Every county in New York must run an RPTS office under Real Property Tax Law Section 1530 [3]. Call them or visit the counter with your address, and they'll pull the parcel.
The state publishes parcel-level data through its GIS clearinghouse. The NYS GIS Program Office posts statewide parcel data at gis.ny.gov, updated annually, with boundaries, addresses, and SBL numbers [6]. Some counties also run interactive tax maps where you click a property and read off its parcel number.
NYC has its own version: the PLUTO dataset from the Department of City Planning, which maps every lot with its BBL and zoning [7].
What are New York's property tax rates, and how do they compare by county?
New York sits near the top of the country for property taxes. The Tax Foundation put New York's effective property tax rate at 1.44% of home value, the 7th highest in the nation in its 2023 analysis [8]. For how that ranks against every other state, see our property tax by state 2025 breakdown.
State averages hide the real spread. County effective rates in New York run from around 0.7% in some rural Catskill counties to over 2.5% in parts of the Southern Tier and Western New York. Rates split further by town and school district. Two neighbors on opposite sides of a school district line can carry bills that differ by 30%.
| County (sample) | Approx. effective rate | Median annual bill (2022 ACS est.) |
|---|---|---|
| New York County (Manhattan) | ~0.9% | ~$7,500 |
| Nassau | ~2.0% | ~$12,500 |
| Westchester | ~1.9% | ~$14,000 |
| Erie | ~2.0% | ~$4,800 |
| Oneida | ~2.5% | ~$3,600 |
| Hamilton (rural) | ~0.8% | ~$1,800 |
Sources: Lincoln Institute of Land Policy 2022 50-State Property Tax Comparison [9]; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2022 estimates. These are approximations. Your actual rate depends on your specific tax districts.
To see how New York stacks up against states that tax property differently, our what states have the highest property taxes guide covers the national picture, and states with no property tax explains the very short list at the other end.
What exemptions can reduce your New York property tax bill?
New York offers more property tax exemption programs than almost any other state. Here are the major ones you might see on your bill, or might be missing.
STAR (School Tax Relief) is the most widely claimed exemption in the state. Basic STAR saves homeowners with income under $500,000 roughly $300 a year on school taxes, though the amount varies by district. Enhanced STAR is for homeowners 65 and older with income under $98,700 for 2025 benefits, and it saves more, often $600 to $1,200 a year depending on the district. Anyone who applied since 2019 gets STAR as a credit check from the state rather than a bill reduction, a change made in the 2019-20 state budget [5].
Senior Citizens Exemption (RPTL Section 467): municipalities and school districts can offer up to a 50% reduction in assessed value for seniors 65 and older who meet income limits. Those limits vary locally.
Veterans Exemptions (RPTL Sections 458 and 458-a): New York runs three separate veterans programs. The Alternative Veterans Exemption cuts assessed value by 15% for wartime service, up to 25% for combat service, and up to 50% for a service-connected disability.
Disability Exemption (RPTL Section 459-c): an income-based reduction for owners with qualifying disabilities.
Agricultural Exemption (RPTL Section 305): reduces the assessment on farmland to its agricultural-use value, which can run far below its development-potential value in suburban fringe counties.
If any of these show on your bill, check the amounts. If you qualify for one that's missing, file an application with your local assessor by the taxable status date, March 1 in most municipalities [10]. Miss it by a day and you wait a full year.
What is the grievance (appeal) process if your bill looks wrong?
Your bill is the output of an assessed value your local assessor set. If that value is too high, you challenge the assessment, not the bill. The process has three stages, each with a hard deadline.
Stage 1 is the informal review. Before Grievance Day, you can ask your assessor to review your assessment. No official form, and the assessor can lower your value voluntarily. Most will have a quick conversation if you bring a recent comparable sale or an appraisal.
Stage 2 is the formal grievance to the Board of Assessment Review (BAR). You file NYS Form RP-524, Complaint on Real Property Assessment, with your local assessor's office. The deadline is Grievance Day, the fourth Tuesday of May in most municipalities. Nassau County uses the second Tuesday of May, and NYC runs its own schedule through the Tax Commission [10]. The BAR must hold a hearing and decide within a set period after Grievance Day.
Stage 3 is Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) or Supreme Court. If the BAR denies you or doesn't cut enough, you file a SCAR petition in your local Supreme Court for a hearing before an independent officer, at a $30 filing fee [11]. SCAR is limited to one-to-three family residential properties and certain condos. Commercial and larger residential properties go to a formal Article 7 proceeding, which costs more and usually needs an attorney.
For a full walkthrough with form numbers and strategy, see our how to appeal property taxes in New York: Grievance Day guide.
Contingency firms typically take 33% to 50% of your first-year savings. If you'd rather keep that, the TaxFightBack DIY Appeal Kit walks you through Form RP-524, pulling comparable sales, and presenting them at your BAR hearing.
When are New York property tax bills due, and what happens if you miss the deadline?
Due dates vary by county and tax type. There is no single statewide due date. The table below covers the common schedules.
| Tax type / county | Typical due date | Late penalty |
|---|---|---|
| NYC property tax (quarterly, most) | Jul 1, Oct 1, Jan 1, Apr 1 | Interest after grace period, set by Finance |
| NYC (semi-annual, smaller properties) | Jul 1, Jan 1 | Same interest rules |
| Nassau County | Apr 10 and Oct 1 (two installments) | Penalty after grace, then monthly interest |
| Suffolk County towns | Varies by town; often May 31 for 2nd half | Town-specific penalties |
| Erie County | Varies; April and July installments typical | Monthly interest after due date |
| Westchester County | Varies by town; city levies differ | Varies |
| Most upstate municipalities | Often Jan-Feb for town/county; varies for school | 1-2%/month depending on locality |
Sources: NYC Department of Finance [2]; NYS Real Property Tax Law Section 924, governing interest on late payments [4]. Check your specific bill and county treasurer for exact rates, since penalties are set locally.
Real Property Tax Law Section 924 lets taxes unpaid after the collection period bear interest at the rate the local government sets, and once a property goes delinquent it's returned to the county for enforcement. Counties generally must wait a set period from the lien date before pursuing tax foreclosure, under RPTL Article 11 [4].
One practical note. If you have a mortgage, your lender almost certainly pays your property taxes through escrow, and the bill may go straight to them. You still have the right to a copy and to check that your escrow account is charged correctly. Escrow errors happen more often than most homeowners think.
How do you read your New York City property tax bill specifically?
NYC mails bills quarterly for most properties and semi-annually for smaller ones. The NYC Department of Finance bill has a fixed layout worth knowing line by line.
The top box shows your BBL, address, tax class, and owner name. Right below is your annual property tax and the current period's charge.
The middle section shows the assessed value math: market value as Finance estimates it, then the assessed value (6% of market for Class 1, 45% for Classes 2 and 4, with transition assessments phasing changes in over five years for Class 2).
Next is the exemptions block. STAR appears here as a reduction in taxable value, along with veterans, senior, and disability exemptions.
The bottom section runs the tax calculation: taxable assessed value times the rate equals annual tax. Then it shows credits, including the co-op/condo abatement if it applies, and splits the annual amount into your installments.
NYC bills also carry a prior-year adjustments section if Finance changed your assessment after the bill went out. Surprises tend to hide there.
If your NYC bill looks wrong, you file with the NYC Tax Commission, not the BAR used elsewhere in the state. The deadline for Class 1 is March 15; for Class 2 and 4 it's March 1 [2]. The Tax Commission is at nyc.gov.
What are common reasons a New York property tax bill is higher than it should be?
The most common reason a New York bill runs high is an overestimated market value, followed by a wrong level of assessment, a missing exemption, a wrong property class, or a plain factual error on the property record. Here's where to look after you've read your bill.
Overestimated market value. Compare the assessor's full market value to recent sales of similar homes within a mile or two. If the assessor says your house is worth $600,000 but comparable homes sold for $480,000, that's a strong case. Pull sales from your county's database or public real estate sites for the 12 months before your taxable status date.
Wrong level of assessment. Your taxable assessed value should equal full market value times your municipality's LOA. If the LOA is 50% but your assessed value works out to 65% of market value, you're assessed above the ratio, which is a grievance ground under RPTL Article 3 [3].
Missing exemption. Run through the exemption list above. If you're 65 with modest income and you don't see Enhanced STAR or the senior citizens exemption, call your assessor before the next filing deadline.
Wrong property class. New York classes property by use. A home mistakenly classed as commercial can carry a far higher rate, especially in NYC where Class 4 dwarfs Class 1.
Phantom improvements. If you demolished a structure but the land still shows improvement value, or a building on your record doesn't exist, those are factual errors the assessor should fix without a formal grievance.
For how the process differs in other high-tax states, our how to appeal property taxes in New Jersey and how to appeal property taxes in Illinois guides lay it out.
How do STAR credits and exemptions appear on your bill, and how do you check if you're enrolled?
STAR works two ways depending on when you first applied, and the difference shows up right on your bill. Applied before 2019, and it's an exemption line on your school tax bill. Applied after, and it comes as a check from the state instead.
If you registered before 2019 (or never converted to the credit), Basic or Enhanced STAR shows as a line labeled "STAR Exemption" that cuts your taxable assessed value before the school rate hits.
If you registered after 2019, you get a STAR credit check from the state directly, and your school bill shows no STAR line. The check usually lands in September, timed to school tax due dates. The amount depends on your assessed value, the school district's rate, and your income tier.
To confirm your status, use the NYS STAR check tool at tax.ny.gov. Enter your address and it shows whether a benefit is registered and whether it's an exemption (older) or a credit (newer) [5].
Enhanced STAR requires annual income verification. The state runs this through the Income Verification Program, so most enrollees no longer file paperwork each year, but if the state can't verify your income it will contact you. Fail to respond and Enhanced STAR can drop to Basic STAR, shrinking your benefit. Reinstatement is possible with documentation under Tax Law Section 425 [5].
For 2025 benefits, the Enhanced STAR income limit is $98,700 (combined income of all owners and resident spouses) and the Basic STAR limit is $500,000 [5]. The state resets these figures every year.
Are there online tools or apps for looking up New York property tax records?
Beyond the official county portals, several third-party tools pull together New York property data. None are official. They're fine for a quick look before you go to the county site, which stays the definitive source.
The NYS GIS Clearinghouse at gis.ny.gov publishes statewide parcel data updated annually. It's a bulk dataset, not a consumer lookup, but it feeds many of the third-party tools [6].
NYC's ACRIS, the Automated City Register Information System, runs through nyc.gov and lets you pull deed records, mortgages, and property history for any NYC property by address or BBL. It's not a bill tool, but it's the best free source for ownership history and sale prices.
Zillow, Redfin, and similar sites pull assessment data and estimated values from public records. Useful for a rough comparison, worthless as authority for an appeal. The county database always wins.
Some counties run Tyler Technologies' iasWorld or PATRIOT systems, which produce public portals with detailed parcel and billing data. If your county portal looks like a polished software product with a consistent interface, it's probably one of those, and it's generally reliable.
AssessorData covers many New York counties and aggregates assessment rolls into a searchable interface. Handy for quick lookups. Verify against the official county source before you file anything.
Frequently asked questions
Can I look up someone else's property tax bill in New York by address?
Yes. Property tax records in New York are public. Anyone can search a county's tax roll or portal by address and view assessed values, exemptions, and bill amounts for any parcel. Real Property Tax Law Section 516 requires assessment rolls to be open for public inspection. You don't need to be the owner to access this.
What if my county doesn't have an online property tax lookup?
Contact your county's Real Property Tax Services (RPTS) office. Every New York county must run one under RPTL Section 1530. They can look up your parcel, give you your assessment, and tell you where the bill was mailed. In some smaller rural counties the treasurer handles payment records separately from the RPTS office.
How do I get a copy of my property tax bill if I lost it?
Search your county portal by address or parcel number and print the bill. If there's no online portal, call your county treasurer or collector. In NYC, the Finance portal at nyc.gov/finance lets you download PDF copies of current and past bills for any BBL. Mortgage servicers who pay through escrow get bills directly and may have copies too.
What is the taxable status date in New York, and why does it matter?
It's the deadline by which you must own and occupy a property, and have filed any exemption application, for that exemption to apply to next year's bill. In most New York municipalities it's March 1. Miss it and you lose any new exemption for the year. Your assessed value is also fixed as of this date, so grievance evidence should reflect market conditions then.
How do I know if my STAR exemption is applied correctly to my bill?
Check your school tax bill for a line labeled 'STAR Exemption' showing a reduction in taxable assessed value. If you registered after 2019 and should get a credit check instead, verify enrollment at tax.ny.gov. If you're supposed to have Enhanced STAR but your bill shows only Basic STAR, the state may not have verified your income. Contact the Tax Department to fix it.
What is Grievance Day in New York and when is it?
Grievance Day is the deadline to file a formal assessment complaint (Form RP-524) with your local Board of Assessment Review. In most New York municipalities it's the fourth Tuesday of May. Nassau County uses the second Tuesday of May. NYC properties go to the Tax Commission with a March 1 or March 15 deadline depending on class. Miss it and you wait a full year to appeal.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment without hiring an attorney or contingency firm?
Yes. Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR) was built for homeowners to appear without an attorney. You file a SCAR petition after a denied Board of Assessment Review grievance, pay a $30 filing fee, and present to an independent hearing officer. The TaxFightBack DIY Appeal Kit provides the forms, comparable sales worksheets, and presentation guidance to do this yourself.
How far back can I appeal or get a refund on overpaid New York property taxes?
You must grieve each year's assessment by that year's Grievance Day. There's no automatic look-back. If the assessor made a clerical error (wrong parcel, wrong owner, clearly wrong data entry), RPTL Section 550 allows correction of the current and one prior year. For systematic over-assessment, an Article 7 proceeding can sometimes reach multiple years, but that needs an attorney.
Does paying my property taxes under protest preserve my right to appeal?
No. In New York you must file the formal grievance on or before Grievance Day regardless of whether you pay under protest. Paying under protest doesn't extend your appeal rights and doesn't replace filing Form RP-524. Pay the bill to avoid penalties, but file the grievance separately and on time.
What is a Section-Block-Lot (SBL) number and where do I find it on my bill?
An SBL is the unique identifier for each parcel on the county tax map. It appears on your bill, assessment notice, and deed. The format is usually three numbers separated by dashes: section, block, and lot. In NYC the equivalent is Borough-Block-Lot (BBL). You need this number to search most county portals accurately and to file any official appeal document.
Why does my New York property tax bill show multiple taxing jurisdictions?
New York taxes property through layered jurisdictions. The county sets a levy, the town or city sets one, the school district sets one, and special districts (fire, library, sewer, lighting) each set their own. All get collected through one or two bills depending on the county, but each line is a separate rate on your assessed value. Your total rate is the sum of many smaller ones.
How does New York City's property tax bill differ from the rest of the state?
NYC has a unified Finance department that administers all property taxes centrally, unlike the rest of the state where county, town, and school taxes may arrive as separate bills. NYC uses four tax classes with different rates and assessment ratios. Class 1 homes are assessed at 6% of market value with a 20.085% rate for 2024-2025. Appeals go to the NYC Tax Commission, not a Board of Assessment Review.
Is there a property tax freeze or circuit breaker program for seniors in New York?
Yes. The Senior Citizens Exemption under RPTL Section 467 can cut assessed value by up to 50% for homeowners 65 and older who meet locally set income limits. Enhanced STAR adds school tax relief on top. Some municipalities also cap the assessed value for qualifying seniors, holding it flat as long as income limits are met. Ask your local assessor which programs run in your municipality.
What happens to my property tax bill when I buy or sell a house in New York?
The tax lien follows the property, not the owner. At closing, taxes are usually prorated between buyer and seller based on the closing date within the tax year. The new owner's name appears on the roll after the deed is recorded and the assessor processes the transfer, which may not happen until the next cycle. Buyers should verify that a prior owner's exemptions won't carry over unless they qualify and re-apply.
Sources
- NYS Department of Taxation and Finance: NYS hosts STAR lookup and property tax administration resources statewide
- NYC Department of Finance, Property Tax Rates FY2024-25: NYC Class 1 rate 20.085%, Class 2 rate 12.267% for fiscal year 2024-2025
- NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Real Property Tax Law and assessment administration: Municipalities set their own level of assessment; RPTS offices required under RPTL Section 1530; assessment ratio grounds under RPTL Article 3
- NYS Real Property Tax Law (RPTL Sections 922, 924; Article 11): Bills mailed at least five days before first installment due; interest on late payment set by locality; county enforcement under RPTL Article 11
- NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, STAR Program: Enhanced STAR 2025 income limit $98,700; Basic STAR income limit $500,000; post-2019 applicants receive credit checks; reinstatement under Tax Law Section 425
- NYS GIS Program Office, Statewide Parcel Data: NYS GIS clearinghouse publishes statewide parcel data updated annually including SBL numbers
- NYC Department of City Planning, Open Data (PLUTO): PLUTO maps every NYC lot with BBL and zoning information
- Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State 2023: New York's effective property tax rate 1.44% of home value, 7th highest nationally per 2023 analysis
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, 50-State Property Tax Comparison 2022: County-level effective rates and median bills for New York counties
- NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Grievance Day and Form RP-524 guidance: Grievance Day is the fourth Tuesday of May in most municipalities; taxable status date March 1; Form RP-524 filed with local assessor
- NYS Unified Court System, Small Claims Assessment Review (SCAR): SCAR filing fee is $30; available for 1-3 family residential properties after BAR denial