New York Stimulus Checks Helped Homeowners and Families

New York "stimulus check" payments were sent last year, to eligible homeowners, families that claimed the state's child tax credit, and workers who claimed the state's earned income credit. Millions of New Yorkers received one or more of these advance tax credit and tax rebate payments, which are worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

However, the exact amount of money you received (if anything) might have been different from what your neighbor, friend, or family member received. That's because there were a lot of individual-based factors that went into calculating each New York "stimulus" payment, such as your income, where you live, or how many children you have. The eligibility requirements also varied from one payment program to another.

And if you live in New York City, you may have received an additional property tax rebate payment on top of what you may have gotten from the state. That's an extra $150 for eligible Big Apple residents.

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Check out the details below for the various 2022 stimulus check programs in New York. Other states are sending stimulus checks in 2023, too. 

New York Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Payments

If you claimed the New York state child tax credit or earned income tax credit on your 2021 New York income tax return, you may have received all or a portion of the credit amount back in the form of an additional tax credit payment. 

New York started sending payments in October 2022 and most payments have been issued. If you claimed both credits on your 2021 return, you should have received only one check in the mail – not two separate checks – for the combined amount you were entitled to receive.

There were some strings attached, though. First, you should have only received a payment if the applicable credit was for at least $100. The state did not send payments for less than that amount. If you claimed both the child credit and the earned income credit on your 2021 return, but only one was for at least $100, you didn't receive an additional payment for the credit that was under $100.

Second, you generally must have filed your 2021 New York tax return by April 18, 2022. If a filing extension was granted by the state, then your return must have been filed by October 17, 2022.

The amount of the additional "stimulus check" payment depends on the 2021 state tax credit(s) you claimed and, in the case of the child credit, your income. According to the state, the average combined payment (i.e., for both the child credit and earned income credit) was around $270.

For New Yorkers who claimed the state's earned income credit, the additional payments were for 25% of the credit claimed on your 2021 New York tax return. So, for example, if you claimed a $300 state earned income credit on your 2021 New York return, you should get a $75 payment ($300 x 0.25 = $75). You can find the credit on Line 65 of your New York return, or on Line 66 if you claimed the credit as a noncustodial parent.

For the state child tax credit, the additional payment amount ranges from 25% to 100% of the credit claimed on your 2021 return. The state child credit is reported on Line 63 of your New York return. If your "recomputed federal adjusted gross income" (Line 19a of your New York return) is less than $10,000, then your payment should equal 100% of the state tax credit. If that income amount is between $10,000 and $24,999, then your payment should be 75% of the credit. For an income of $25,000 to $49,999, you should get back 50% of the credit. And, finally, if your computed federal AGI is $50,000 or more, then your payment should be 25% of your 2021 New York child tax credit.

New York State's Homeowner Tax Rebate Credits

If you own a home in the Empire State, you may have qualified for an advance payment of the state's Homeowner Tax Rebate Credit for the 2022 tax year. Eligible residents should have received their payment before their local school tax bill was due. But note that the state didn't send any payments for less than $100.

To be eligible for a payment, you had to qualify for a 2022 School Tax Relief (STAR) credit or exemption and have a school tax liability that's more than your 2022 STAR benefit. Your 2020 income also couldn't exceed $250,000.

How much should you have received? It depends on your income, where you live, and whether you receive Enhanced STAR or Basic STAR benefits. Generally, though, payments were between 18% and 163% of STAR benefits. The state has an online tool that spits out the payment amount for you. The average payment for people living outside of New York City was about $970 and around $425 for New York City residents.

New York City Property Tax Rebates

Finally, eligible homeowners in New York City received an additional $150 back last year on their property tax bill. To qualify, your New York City property could be a multi-family residence (up to three families), a condominium, or a unit in a cooperative – but it must be your primary residence. In addition, the 2020 combined federal adjusted income for all owners couldn't be more than $250,000. Most who qualify for the STAR exemption or credit automatically qualify.

Rebate checks were mailed in the summer of 2022. However, if you were behind on previous property tax payments, your rebate check was applied toward the property taxes that you owed. For that reason, your check may have been less than $150 or nothing, which may explain why you didn't receive a check in the mail. Otherwise, if you haven't received a payment yet and think that you were eligible, you can contact the New York City Department of Finance at www.nyc.gov/dofcustomerservice.