With Cuomo Assist, Homeowners Rush to Soften Tax Bill’s Impact<br />Under guidance issued to the Town of Clarkstown in Rockland County by the New York State Comptroller’s office in 1985 — the last time state<br />and local tax deductions were at risk — New York residents are allowed to prepay property taxes if the municipal tax collection agency has been issued a warrant to collect the tax levy.<br />“Practically all the officials in Westchester are being swamped with calls.”<br />The messages were prompted by the passage of the Republican tax plan<br />that caps the federal deduction for state and local taxes such as income taxes and property taxes at $10,000 for 2018.<br />Westchester County collects taxes in April, which means, absent the governor’s action, tax warrants<br />probably would not have been ready in time for residents to prepay 2018 property taxes.<br />“I’m getting swamped with many, many calls, usually one an hour, from people who want to prepay their taxes,” said the supervisor,<br />Paul J. Feiner, who manages the Westchester County town of 92,000 people about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan.<br />Andrew M. Cuomo signed an executive order suspending provisions in state law<br />that might have blocked some residents from prepaying next year’s property taxes.<br />Each client is different depending on their income and other factors,<br />but Mr. Abo said everything seems to point to the idea that it makes sense to prepay property taxes.<br />It could increase the amount of federal taxes paid by New Yorkers by $14 billion, Mr. Cuomo said during a conference call with reporters.
