Property tax break for senior homeowners

To be eligible for SCHE, you must meet these requirements:

1. Own a one-, two-, or three-family home, condo, or coop apartment.
2. All owners of the property are 65 or older. However, if you own the property with a spouse or sibling, only one of you need to be 65 or older.
3. All owners must live on the property as the primary residence.
4. The combined income for all owners must be less than or equal to $58,399.
5. You must own the property for at least 12 consecutive months before the date of filing for the exemption. This is not a requirement if you got the exemption on a property that you owned before.

To apply for SCHE you will need to prove the following:

• Your age: you need a copy of a government-issued ID
• Your income: copies of federal tax returns and additional forms (schedules) for all owners. If any owners do not file a tax return, provide proof of yearly earnings.
• Your deductions:
  • Copies of receipts for your paid medical bills not covered by insurance for your income documentation year, OR
  • Copy of your Schedule A
• Depending on your application, you may need a trust agreement, will, or other legal documents.