Frequently Asked Questions
********ATTENTION***********
Your Receiver of Taxes is excited to announce that we have moved to new tax software that enhances the way you manage your property taxes.
- For those who receive paper bills, great effort was made to balance the need for enhancements with the desire to maintain a familiar bill format.
- Payment options:
- Online ECHECK/ACH payments are available through our new vendor Catalis. They charge a $2.00 fee per parcel/tax bill.
- Please note that CREDIT CARD payments will NOT initially be available. The Town of Pound Ridge is in negotiations with the Credit Card processor. Your patience on this matter is appreciated.
- All other payment options such as checks and cash are accepted.
- NEW FEATURES
- Payment history is now available for you to look up online.
- Register to receive copies of your bill, receipts and notifications via email.
We are confident that this transition will make your property tax management smoother and more convenient.
1. How many tax bills do we have in Pound Ridge and when are they due?
We issue two tax bills.
The Town/County bill is mailed at the end of March and is due on or before April 30th.
The School bill is mailed at the end of August and is payable in one or two installments.
If paid in one installment it is due on or before September 30th.
If paid in two installments the 1st installment is due on or before September 30th and
the 2nd installment is due on or before January 31st of the following year.
2. I am a new homeowner, what do I need to know regarding my property taxes?
- If you are a new homeowner or have changed banks or lending institutions make sure that your tax bills are paid in a timely manner either by yourself or your lending institution.
- If you are submitting tax payments directly to the Town and have not received a tax bill at least one month prior to the payment due date, you should contact the Tax office.
- If you buy property after the September payment date for the first half school tax, but prior to the January 31 payment date for the second half, you must contact the Tax Office to determine the tax amount due. Second half payments received after January 31 are subject to a 10% penalty. Late payment fees cannot be waived for any reason (NYS Real Property Law, section 922)
- The failure to receive a Tax Bill shall in no way affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law with respect thereto. (NYS Real Property Law, section 922)
3. What are my tax payment options?
- Online at https://www.townofpoundridge.com/taxreceiver/pay-your-taxes-online. Please be aware the cost to pay by e-check is $2.00.
- In person at the Pound Ridge Town House located at 179 Westchester Ave during the hours of 9:00 am to 4:30 pm EST.
- At the dedicated locked mailbox outside the Tax Receiver's office at the Town House.
- At any other USPS mailbox - just make sure your payment envelope is postmarked before or on the respective due dates of each payment. We STRONGLY recommend that you go into the post office, to the window and request that they hand stamp your envelope in your presence to avoid late payment fees.
- All payments must be in the EXACT amount due. By law, we are unable to process partial payments.
4. Who should I make my check payable to?
D. Segal, P.R. Rec. of Taxes
Any payments must be made in the EXACT amount due and we ask that you include a phone number in case we need to contact you. If there is a problem with your check and we cannot reach you, we will have to mail your check back to you via USPS. Depending upon the timing you may run the risk of incurring late payment fees.
5. What causes my tax bill to change?
Tax bills change for various reasons including, but not limited to: addition or removal of any tax exemptions; increased budgets are adopted; revenue from outside sources beyond property tax shrinks; the taxable assessment value of the assessing property changes; or the tax levy is apportioned differently.
6. My Town / County tax bill lists levies from the Town of Pound Ridge, the County of Westchester, the Pound Ridge Library and the Pound Ridge Fire Department, where can I find the budgets that these levies are based on?
Westchester County Adopted Operation Budgets by Year - click here.
Town of Pound Ridge Adopted Budgets by Year - click here.
Pound Ridge Library Budget - click here.
Pound Ridge Fire Department Budget - see supporting document below.
7. Westchester County budget process explained - click here.
8. Where can I go to find out more about my School Taxes?
The Towns in Westchester County are fiscal agents for the collection of the school taxes.
School budgets are prepared and adopted by public referendum in May, and are not the function of the Town Government.
Veteran’s Exemptions do not apply to school taxes.
All inquiries concerning budget matters or expenditures should be directed to your School District’s Business Office:
Bedford Central School District Katonah-Lewisboro School District
632 South Bedford Road 60 North Salem Road
Bedford, NY 10506 Cross River, NY 10518
(914-241-6000) (914-763-7000)
Where can I find information on the 2024-25 Bedford Central School District Budget? - click here
Where can I find information on the 2024-25 Katonah-Lewisboro School District Budget? - click here
9. Who can answer my questions regarding the STAR program?
The NYS STAR hotline for residential home owners is as follows: 518-457-2036.
Note: the STAR exemption applies only to your School bill.
10. What is the difference between the STAR exemption and the STAR Credit/Rebate?
STAR exemption: a reduction on your school tax bill. If you’ve been receiving the STAR exemption since 2015, you can continue to receive it for the same primary residence. As long as you remain eligible, you’ll see a reduction on your school tax bill for the amount of your STAR exemption. Note: The STAR exemption is no longer available to new homeowners.
STAR credit: If you are registered for the STAR credit, the NYS Tax Department will issue your STAR benefit via check or direct deposit. You can use your STAR benefit to pay your Pound Ridge school taxes. You can receive the STAR credit if you own your home and it's your primary residence and the combined income of the owners and the owners’ spouses is $500,000 or less.
For the NYS STAR Resource page: click here
11. What if the due date for my taxes falls on a weekend or a holiday?
If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a public holiday, payments may be made on the following business day without additional charge.
12. Do you accept postmarked envelopes on the last day of a penalty free tax period as my payment will arrive in the tax office after its due date?
While we are able to honor a timely postmark for meeting the tax deadlines, there are certain Tax Law requirements that must be met: the postmark must be legible and from the United States Post Office, metered mail postmarks (Pitney Bowes or NeoPost for example) are not acceptable, and International postmarks are not recognized for this purpose either. Fed Ex, UPS and DHL timely postmarks, however, can be honored. When an envelope comes in without any postmark the date used under the law is the date it is received. Personal online bank checks you ask your bank to send prior to deadline often come in after the deadline without any postmark—please be aware that this will subject you to penalty if it happens.
13. I didn’t receive a tax bill or received it late, do I still have to pay the penalty?
Yes. Under the law the Tax Office makes every effort to mail bills to the taxpayer but tax payment (and any applicable penalty if late) is the property-owner’s responsibility even if no bill was received. Penalties can be avoided by paying the correct amount on time so call us at (914) 764-3978 if you are at all unsure about due dates and/or amounts due. We want to help.
Did you know that the United States Postal Service provides, for free, a daily preview email with images of your mail and packages scheduled to arrive soon? Consider signing up for “Informed Delivery” HERE
14. Can my tax bill be sent to an address that is different from my property address?
Yes. If your tax billing address is anywhere other than the property address, please notify us in writing so that you will get your tax bill where you receive your mail. Additionally, if you have satisfied your mortgage and your taxes will no longer be paid for by your bank, please let us know promptly so we can make arrangements to send the bill to you rather than your bank.
15. Can a penalty be waived?
No, neither the Receiver of Taxes nor any other official have legal authority to waive statutory penalty charges. These are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law and Westchester County Tax Law.
16. Why is the Penalty on the second half of school tax bill so much?
School tax bills are mailed in September and due by September 30. Westchester county allows for the school bill to be paid in 2 installment, but this does not change the penalty schedule if you fail to meet the installment deadlines. If you miss the second installment, the penalty is based upon the September 30 due date and immediately jumps to 10%.
17. I have both an unpaid lien and an unpaid current tax bill. Which should I pay first?
Current taxes must be paid prior to any earlier taxes owed on all Properties that are in the delinquent stage and are in the process of enforcement. (NYS Real Property Tax Law, section 1112). All lien payments must be by certified bank check.
18. I no longer have an escrow account or I have satisfied my mortgage. How can I receive my tax bills moving forward?
A request must be made in writing and can be mailed to Receiver of Taxes, 179 Westchester Ave, Pound Ridge, NY 10576. Alternatively, you could come into the Town House and fill out the form in person at the same address. The Tax Office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-4:30pm EST.
19. Where can I go to get information on Foreclosure Prevention?
The New York Attorney General has created the Homeowner Protection Program (HOPP). Click here for more information.
20. What is an eCheck?
An eCheck is an electronic check, paid over the internet specifically on our payment platform. If you choose to pay this way, the vendor charges you a $2.00 fee per property bill; if you mail in or come to the Tax office with a physical check, there is no fee.
