City Announces Grace Period for Filing Tax Abatement Forms

Technology is supposed to make life easier, but sometimes convenience carries complications. Consider the form required for buildings to receive real estate tax abatements. 

The deadline for filing the Cooperative and Condominium Tax Abatement Renewal and Change form for the current tax year has been extended by the Department Finance (DOF) – from Feb. 15 to March 10. The form is new this year, and for the first time ever, managers or boards are required to file it, attesting to any changes in ownership or primary-residency status from information provided by DOF in December. The form reflects apartment ownership on Jan. 5. 2016.

Even if there has been no change in ownership or primary occupancy, every cooperative and condominium in the city, generally through their management firm, must submit the form and check the box that says the building wishes to continue to participate in the tax abatement program. The form is available here.

The abatements are tabulated on a sliding scale, ranging from 17.5 percent to 28.1 percent of a property’s assessed value. While those percentages are not open to debate, controversy continues to surround the city’s arcane and uneven method of assessing property values. Those values are typically the basis for challenges to real estate tax bills issued by the DOF.

The deadline for submitting the change form for next tax year (July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018) has also been extended – to March 31, 2017. It must reflect ownership on Jan. 5 of this year.