How to Prep Your Home for Spring

Spring is in the air! As the weather gets warmer, we’ll tend to spend more time out of our homes enjoying all the season as to offer. Get a head start on these projects to freshen your home.

Do Some Spring Cleaning

Though this may sound like a cliche, spring really is the best time to get to cleaning. With warm weather coming, you’ll want to get outside more often, leaving much of the housework you’ll want to do is thrown to the side. Consider these areas:

• Declutter bedrooms, closets, cabinets  and living spaces.
• Clean windows and put new window treatments up.
• Give your floors a good clean and wax.
• Vacuum and dust any surfaces that may be carriers for indoor allergens.
• Switch beddings to lighter covers for warmer weather.

Inspect Your Roof

From fallen trees to mounds of snow, your roof can sustain a large amount of damage during the winter months. When the weather warms up, it’s best to inspect your roof and change for any signs of damage early so that a professional can make necessary repairs. Broken shingles or leaks can cause hefty property damage.

Repair Windows and Screens

Just like your roof, your windows and screens can take a beating through the cold winter months. To ensure you’re not wasting money cooling your home by letting that air go right out a broken window this spring, and to prevent allergens from coming inside, you’ll want to repair any damage.

Here at P.T.R.C., Inc., we are determined to help our clients pay the lowest amount of property tax as required by law. Contact us today to see how we can help you: info@ptrc.com

The Veterans' Property Tax Exemption: Explained

What Is The NYS Veteran’s Exemption?

If you are a veteran in New York State, there are property tax exemptions that those who have served in the U. S. Armed Forces, including veterans who have served in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard can apply for.

All veterans must submit a request for the exemption to their assessor, including proof of discharge under honorable conditions. This information typically includes times and places served in active duty. These exemptions only apply the following tax levels:

• County property taxes
• City/town property taxes
• Village property taxes

There are three main exemptions that veterans can apply for in New York State:
Cold War Veterans’ Exemption: available at the residential level for veterans that served during the Cold War. It is up to the description of counties, cities, and villages to offer this exemption.

Alternative Veterans’ Exemption: available at the residential level for veterans serving during a designated time of war, or those who have received an expeditionary medal. 95% of counties, towns, cities and villages offer this exemption, and some school districts have the choice of offering it as well.

Eligible Funds Exemption: awards a partial exemption to property a veteran purchases. Contact your local clerk for more information.

For more information, visit the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance website.

Here at P.T.R.C., Inc., we are determined to help our clients pay the lowest amount of property tax as required by law. Contact us today to see how we can help you: info@ptrc.com

Proven Ways to Increase Your Home’s Value

Whether you’re ready to move to a new neighborhood or just want to get a head start on maximizing your investment, increasing the value of your home is always a good thing. Use these recommendations to update your home:

Make Your Home Low-Maintenance

Except for the few buyers that are really looking for a project, most prospective homeowners are looking for a home that is as close to ‘turnkey’ as possible — meaning the home is practically ready for them to move in.

If you’re looking to sell your home in the near future, be sure that any structural updates that need to happen before an inspection get completed. Give your home a good look, make a list of what needs to get done, and get to work!

Make Your Home Efficient

Who doesn’t love a way to help the environment and lower their utility bills? Going-green has been a trending housing update for the past few years, and will surely increase the value of your home. Here are a few updates you can consider making:

• LED lighting
• Solar panels
• Energy-efficient HVAC units
• Smart thermostats

Make Your Home More Attractive

Increasing the appeal of your home doesn’t stop at the inside — it extends to the outside of your home, too. This means that you should be focused on updating the interior of your home as well as the exterior, which will help you increase your “curb appeal”. This is often the first impression a prospective buyer will have of your home, and you’ll want to make it count.

Here are some updates you may want to consider making:

• Updating landscaping, roofing, and siding
• Freshening interior paint
• Remodeling your kitchen and bathrooms with new appliances

Here at P.T.R.C., Inc., we are determined to help our clients pay the lowest amount of property tax as required by law. Contact us today to see how we can help you: info@ptrc.com

4 Things to Do Before Tax Day

April 15th, also known as Tax Day here in the U.S., is the deadline for all individual tax return submissions and tax filing extension requests. If you’re looking to get ahead of the game this year, here are a few key things to take care of before Tax Day:

1. Gather Income Documentation

There are few more stressful things than looking for paperwork at 11:59 pm the night before Tax Day. To prepare, make sure you have all the necessary documents ready to go — whether for sending to a professional or for your own use. This also includes any paperwork needed for deductions, such as student loan interest payments.

Also, be sure to keep this information handy in case you need it later in the year.

2. Look Over Last Year’s Return

If you’re filing your tax return online, you’ll need information from last year’s return statement to file this year — part of the IRS’ anti-fraud protocols. Also, looking at last year’s return can help you remember exactly what incomes you need to claim, and what deductions you’re entitled to.

3. Check Your Personal Information

One sure way to raise a red flag to the IRS is mistyping your name, Social Security number, or bank account information. Make sure all of this information is double-checked before you finalize your tax return.

4. Consider Filing an Extension

If you need more time for filing your taxes, you can apply for a six-month extension by filing IRS Form 4868. If you think you’ll need an extension, it’s best to file as soon as possible. However, if you still owe tax liabilities to the IRS, you will not receive an extension for this payment, and must make those on time to avoid any interest.

Here at P.T.R.C., Inc., we are determined to help our clients pay the lowest amount of property tax as required by law. Contact us today to see how we can help you: info@ptrc.com

How to Apply for Property Tax Grievance in Nassau County

To help combat soaring taxes in Nassau County, residents have the right to grieve their taxes. Through this process, those individuals choose to appeal their assessment by providing necessary information about their property. P.T.R.C., Inc. specializes in long island residential property tax reductions. Since 1990, P.T.R.C., Inc. has successfully handled over 285,000 assessment challenges. We have secured millions of dollars in reductions and refunds for our clients. We aim to be the best in the business!

The Process

ARC asks filers to complete a form that has various parts. Some of the questions are optional, but the more residents fill out the more they can highlight their argument that their assessment is inaccurate.

Individuals must first fill out Part A of the application sheet to identify the property. Verify that all information is correct.
In Part B, residents need to fill out what they feel their assessment should be. This section must be completed.
The individual's address and contact information are included in Part C. This should be checked for accuracy, for ARC uses it to contact the resident.
Part D enables the filer to include any pertinent information about the property that would affect the value. Suitable answers include, but are not limited to, home is located on a main road, adjacent to a train station or near a school.
An optional section, Part E enables the filer to accurately specify the claim for the reduction.
Another optional section, Part F invites residents to upload comparable homes in the area. These are used to support the claim that a new assessment is necessary.
The last section must be filled out or the form cannot be filed. It simply asks the resident to sign and certify that all statements made are accurate.

Deadline

The online appeal system is open until April 2, 2020. During this time, any type of property can be filed for including commercial ones.

Considerations

Property Tax Reduction Consultants help residents complete their assessments and will file on their behalf. If this is the case, Part C of the form would indicate that there is a designation of representation.

Residents can simply visit Property Tax Reduction Consultants and fill out the online application to get the process started.