Assemblywoman Annie Rabbitt (R,C,I-Greenwood Lake) has written to Governor Andrew Cuomo to ask that, in light of the widespread and ongoing devastation resulting from Tropical Storm Irene, the deadline for paying property taxes be extended statewide, or at least in the counties which have been declared disaster zones.
“Every day I am out there working with residents and employers to help them recover from Irene; yet, due to the terrible weather, certain areas are getting worse instead of better. A large part of our state is in a state of emergency right now, and it is a tremendous burden to ask residents and employers to worry about paying property taxes right now,” said the assemblywoman. “We should extend the deadline. The most important thing right now is ensuring public safety – not paying taxes.”
Throughout the state, school tax payments are due by October 1, 2011. Both the federal government and the state have extended the tax filing and reporting deadlines for other types of personal income and business taxes until October 31, 2011, but, to date, school tax payments have not been included in such an extension.
In addition to asking the governor to extend the school tax payment deadline, she also asked him to use his executive powers to suspend any such laws which impose interest or penalties for unpaid real property taxes when taxpayers are residents or employers within the 21 counties designated as disaster sites.