How to Read Your Town & County Tax Bill

HOW TO READ YOUR 2023 TOWN AND COUNTY TAX BILL

A guide to help you understand exactly where your tax dollars go. Use your own 2024 Town and County tax bill to follow along. This example property is located in the Town of Perinton, outside of the Village, and in the Fairport Central School District. 

A: FULL MARKET VALUE – This is a ‘theoretical amount’ created by dividing the assessed value by the equalization rate. In this example, 245,400 (assessed value) ÷ .71% (equalization rate) = 345,600. This formula does not consider the current status of the housing market – which is why this ‘Full Market Value’ amount is theoretical. This number will fluctuate as the equalization rate changes and has no impact on the amount of taxes you pay. 

B: TOTAL ASSESSED VALUE – The total assessed value is one factor used to establish how much you pay in Town and County taxes. On this example tax bill, the total assessed value is 245,400. The Town and County use that number along with their tax rates to determine the total amount of taxes due before tax credits are applied. For Perinton residents, the County tax rate is approximately $9.41 per $1,000 assessed value, and the Town tax rate is $2.46 per $1,000 assessed value. The County rate reduces to approximately $8.01 once the sales tax credit is applied.  

C: UNIFORM % OF VALUE – Also known as the equalization rate, this percentage is set by New York State. New York State encourages each Town to assess at 100% of the current market value of a home. When properties are assessed at a 100% equalization rate, it ensures the taxes paid are distributed equitably based on a property’s current market value. Town-wide reassessments are the best way to ensure that assessments are equitable and accurate. However, the Town canceled its town-wide reassessment in 2020 due to the pandemic; therefore, many assessed values did not change. In 2021, the equalization rate fell from 100% to 93% and it remained 93% in 2022. For 2023, the equalization rate fell to 80% and for 2024, the equalization rate fell to 71%. New York State sets the equalization rate each year.

D: EXEMPTIONS – The Town Assessment Office administers all partial tax exemptions, as allowed under the NYS Real Property Tax Law, to property owners who applied for and met certain eligibility requirements. The most common residential exemptions are: STAR (only applied to School Tax Bill), Senior Citizen with Limited Income, Disability with Limited Income, and Veterans (only applied to Town & County Tax Bill). If this area is blank, you did not qualify for any exemptions. Contact the Assessment Office with any questions at (585) 223-0770.

E: COUNTY BUDGET – The County Budget reflects a $1.4 billion spending plan that includes funding for state and federal mandates such as Medicaid tax, social services, public safety, and more. It also funds the Sheriff’s road patrol, County roads and bridges, County Parks, 911, and County staff departments.

F: SALES TAX CREDIT – PERINTON – This represents the share of total Sales Tax collections credited to towns (outside of villages). Whereas villages receive their total allocation of sales tax in cash, town property owners receive a portion of their sales tax as a credit, which reduces their property tax bill. In this example, the property owner saved $326.84 on their tax bill due to sales tax credits. 

G: NET AMOUNT DUE FOR BUDGET – This is the total tax levy, or how much the County will need to collect in taxes in 2024. The tax rate is listed at approximately $9.41 per $1,000 of assessed value and is reduced to approximately $8.01 once the sales tax credit is applied. 

H: COUNTY SERVICES – LOCALITIES – This consists of County charges for Mutual Aid Fire Training, Election Expenses, Tax Roll and Bill Preparation, etc., which, under state law, may be charged back to the Town. 

I: PERINTON TOWN TAXES – Perinton Town Taxes fund Town operations such as parks, trails, senior services, the Community Center, road and drainage, weekly yard debris pick-up, and more. Perinton’s full value tax rate has been one of the lowest in Monroe County for more than 35 years. In this example, the total amount paid to the Town is $603.69. On average, the Town receives $7 of every $100 on your total tax bill. 

J: SPECIAL DISTRICTS – Special Districts consist of a fire protection tax, of which Perinton is fortunate to have one of the lowest fire tax rates in the County. It also includes an ambulance service tax in addition to other special districts, if applicable. 

In this example, Monroe County Pure Waters (PW) Special Districts are reflected. These funds are used to pay for the operation, maintenance, and debt retirement of the County Pure Waters program. This includes sanitary sewer transmission lines & the Van Lare Sewage Treatment Plant in Irondequoit. The total amount is not based on assessment; instead, it is a set rate per household. 

This example bill also includes the Perinton Consolidated Sewer District. The district is funded by any property benefitting from sanitary service within the Town and pays for operation and maintenance. The total amount is not based on assessment; instead, it is a set rate per household. 

While not reflected on this example bill, other special districts would be a lighting district or park maintenance district.