A property tax break for seniors who own one-, two-, or three-family homes, condominiums, or cooperative apartments.
The SCHE and DHE (Disabled Homeowners’ Exemption) tax breaks are available to eligible homeowners with a combined annual income of $58,399 or less.
Age | All owners of the property must be 65 or older, unless the owners are spouses or siblings. If you own the property with a spouse or sibling, only one of you must meet this age requirement. |
Income | The total combined annual income of the property owner and spouse or co-owner cannot exceed $58,399. Income includes, but is not limited to, Social Security, retirement benefits, interest, dividends, IRA earnings, capital gains, net rental income, salary or wages, and net income from self-employment. |
Ownership | You must own the property for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the date of filing for the exemption, unless you received the exemption on your previously-owned residence. |
Residency | All owners must occupy the property as their primary residence except in cases of divorce, legal separation, or abandonment. Owners receiving in-patient care at a residential health care facility may be eligible for the exemption. |
Note: You cannot receive both SCHE and DHE (Disabled Homeowners' Exemption). If you qualify for both, you will receive SCHE.
Your SCHE application will tell you how to estimate your income and what sort of documentation, if any, you will need to provide. Here are some general guidelines:
You can use the optional Income Calculation Worksheet if you need assistance with estimating your income. This worksheet is available to you as a resource; you are not required to complete it.
If your income is between |
SCHE can reduce your home's assessed value by |
$57,500 and $58,399 | 5% |
$56,600 and $57,499 | 10% |
$55,700 and $56,599 | 15% |
$54,800 and $55,699 | 20% |
$53,900 and $54,799 | 25% |
$53,000 and $53,899 | 30% |
$52,000 and $52,999 | 35% |
$51,000 and $51,999 | 40% |
$50,001 and $50,999 | 45% |
$0 and $50,000 | 50% |
You must renew your Senior Citizen Homeowners' Exemption every two years in order to continue receiving it. You will receive a notice from the Department of Finance when it is time to file your renewal application.
If you wish to remove a previously granted exemption, you may complete the Application to Remove Previously Granted Exemption(s).
The deadline to apply for SCHE for the current tax year is March 15. (If March 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.)
If you are not currently receiving SCHE, you may apply by downloading a paper application:
The SCHE benefit must be renewed every two years. The Department of Finance will send you a renewal application when it is time to renew your benefit. You must renew your exemption by March 15, or your property taxes could increase significantly. (If March 15 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.)
SCHE renewal applications will be available soon.
For general assistance, please visit www.nyc.gov/contactdof or call 311.
Need Help? Contact 311 or Email Us.
If due to a disability you need an accommodation on order to apply for and receive a service, or to participate in a program offered by the Department of Finance, please contact the Disability Service Facilitator or by calling 311.