Tax FAQs and Reminders

General Tax Frequently Asked Questions

How and where do I pay my tax bill?

In person payments:

Accepted at the Lansing Town Clerk's Office at 29 Auburn Road, Lansing during our business hours. Checks, cash and credit cards are accepted at the counter. There is also a 24 hour drop box located in the foyer of the Town Hall entrance.

By Mail:

Lansing Receiver of Taxes
Attn: Deborah K. Munson
PO Box 186
Lansing, NY 14882

Checks payable to: Lansing Receiver of Taxes

I never received my bill, or received it late; do I still have to pay the penalty?

Yes, the failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or interest prescribed by law (New York State Real Property Tax Law Section 922.) It is the responsibility of the property owner to know when taxes are due and payable. In addition, neither the Receiver of Taxes nor any other official has legal authority to waive statutory interest charges. Interest charges are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law.

Can I pay my taxes in installments?

You may pay the first installment plus surcharge to the Town of Lansing Receiver of Taxes by January 31st and the second installment will be due on July 1st to the Tompkins County Department of Budget and Finance, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, NY 14850.  Phone:  607-274-5545.

If I mail my payment on the due date do I have to pay a penalty?

New York State Real Property Tax Law Section 925, provides as follows: "Payment of taxes by mail, when enclosed in a postpaid wrapper (envelope) properly addressed to the appropriate collecting officer and deposited in a post office or official depository under the exclusive care and custody of the United States Post Office shall, upon deliver, be deemed to have been made to such officer on the date of the United States Postmark on such wrapper. The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of postmarks not made by the United States Post Office. A postage meter postmark is not a postmark made by the United States Post Office and, therefore, is not within the provisions of Real Property Tax Law Section 925. Payments cannot be deemed timely because of a postage meter postmark date on an envelope containing a tax payment (Op. New York State Comptroller 69-170).

If taxes are not received until after the due date, they are not paid until after the due date unless they fall squarely within the provisions of Section 925 of the Real Property Tax Law, and the interest must be added and collected. No Town official or employee can waive the interest (Op. New York State Comptroller 68-626.)

Assessment Review

Anyone who feels their assessment is unfair should contact the Tompkins County Assessment Department at 607-274-5517. Forms may be obtained at the Town Clerk's Office, the Tompkins County Assessment Office or by following this link:

• Grievance Form & Instructions

To view assessment rolls, please visit the Tompkins County Assessment Departments Website.  

Important Facts

Sold Property: 

If you have received a tax bill and no longer own the property, you can either forward it to the new owner(s) or return it to the Tax Office with the new owner(s) name as soon as possible with Open Immediately on the envelope.

Tax Exemptions: 

Applications for veteran, disability, senior citizen or STAR are due by March 1. For further information, please call the Tompkins County Assessment Department at 607-274-5517.

• Online Forms for Exemptions can be found here

Unpaid Prior Taxes:

If taxes from one or more prior levies remained due and owing when the statement of taxes was prepared, payment of the arrears should be made to Tompkins County Department of Budget and Finance, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Phone: 607-274-5545 to determine the amount in arrears. Continued failure to pay all of the taxes levied against the property will result in your loss of the property. 

Taxes in Escrow:

Many residents have their taxes in escrow with lending institutions. The County updates bank codes prior to each billing cycle. It is the lending institution's responsibility to notify the County of any additions or deletions of accounts. Many banks contract with Tax Service Organizations (TSOs), which are agencies that service escrow accounts for banks. These organizations provide us with listings of their customers and their identifying account numbers. In the event that a resident receives a bill that should have gone to the bank, it is still the responsibility of the bank to call for that bill. If the bill should have gone to the homeowner, but went to the bank, it is the homeowner's responsibility to know the taxes are due. Please call our office immediately and we will issue you a duplicate bill. Failure to mail a statement or the failure of a property owner to receive a statement will not affect the validity of the taxes or penalty prescribed by law. (New York State Real Property Tax Law 922). If you feel you should have received a bill, but have not during the first week of January, please contact this office for a duplicate bill.

Reminders

Timely payment of property taxes is the responsibility of the property owner(s).

As per New York State Real Property Tax Law, the Receiver of Taxes may not waive interest.

For mail-in payments, interest will be determined by date of official United States Postal Service postmark. Online Bank Payment Services do not use United States postmarks. Metered mail, foreign postmarks, private carrier or other mail service deliveries will be considered postmarked the date received.

If your payment arrives after the interest-free due date, the interest charge will be due on your bill.

To show proof of a timely tax payment when using the United States Postal Service, we suggest that the taxpayer use certified mail, return receipt requested.

As per New York State Real Property Tax Law, failure to receive a tax bill "shall not in any way affect the validity of the taxes or interest."

Taxes paid by check are subject to collection.

Lansing Town Law provides a "returned item" fee of $20.00 per check and checks that are returned in the interest period of collection will be assessed the interest charge as well as the returned item service charge.

Reminder notices are mailed by the Lansing Receiver of Taxes. There is a $1.00 charge for this service.