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New York has enacted an amendment, signed on Feb. 13, 2026 (Chapter 77 of the Laws of 2026), that makes the complete real property tax exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected disability mandatory for school districts, eliminating local discretion. As a result, no board resolution or public hearing is required to implement this exemption. If a public hearing was already scheduled for this exemption, it should be canceled.
The amendment revises the implementation timeline by providing that the exemption applies to assessment rolls based on taxable status dates on or after Oct. 1, 2026. The amendment also clarifies that the exemption cannot reduce the taxable value of a property below zero.
From an operational standpoint, the business office should coordinate with the assessor and tax receiver to ensure the exemption is reflected on the first affected roll and should update levy modeling and multi-year financial projections to account for the exempted value beginning with rolls using taxable status dates on or after Oct. 1, 2026. Communications to the board and stakeholders should be updated to reflect that the exemption is automatic, that any planned hearing is unnecessary and that taxable value cannot fall below zero.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
