How do I look up a Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake school tax bill?
School tax bills are public information, and the database with this information can now be accessed via the internet. [SEARCH & VIEW YOUR TAX BILL]
You can also pay your tax bill online.
Please note: To use the above link to look up a school tax bill, you can search by two different factors–either a complete Tax Map number OR a minimum of two letters of the last name AND two letters of the street name
Also, when entering a street, please type only the NAME of the street. Omit the house number and omit words like “Road,” “Street,” or “Avenue,” etc. Example: to find the bill for 123 Main Street, you would type just “Main.” Also remember that some streets may have more than one local name (Example: Ballston Lake Road is also known as Route 146A.)
Once your search results are displayed, click again to view the details for the specific bill you want. You can also click on any of the column headers to sort the results by Owner, SWIS number, Tap Map number, Street Name (i.e. address), or Bill number.
Bills for individual properties can also be printed.
When will I get my school tax bill?
Typically by September 1, individual tax bills are printed and mailed to land owners. If you don’t receive your bill by mid September, you can print a copy of your bill from the database link above or contact the school tax office:
Email: taxoffice@bhbl.org
Phone: (518) 399-9141, ext. 85027 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Important Notice to Taxpayers: Since the 2017-18 school tax collection, all property owners who mail tax bills and payments will receive a payment receipt. The postmark date of a mailed payment is considered the date of payment.
If the mailing date is within the penalty period as noted on the tax bills, the payment must include the late penalty amount as show on the tax bill. If the payment is not made by the penalty date, the tax and penalty amounts will be transferred to the town and county for inclusion on the January town/county tax bill. No further payments following the end of the penalty period will be accepted.
In the event a property owner does not receive a receipt, the status of the tax payment can be obtained here. Taxpayers may also print the school tax bill and/or school tax bill receipts. [SEARCH & VIEW YOUR TAX BILL]
When are my school taxes due?
School taxes are billed annually; you will only receive a bill in September. No reminder will be sent out. Tax bills can be paid from Sept. 1-30 2024 without penalty. Payments received in person, online, or postmarked Oct. 1, 2024 or later MUST include penalty. The last day of tax collection is on Oct. 31, 2024 (including checks made with insufficient funds). Payments received after Oct. 31, 2024 (including checks made with insufficient funds) will be returned immediately and deemed uncollected. The uncollected balance will be turned over to the county to be re-levied on the property tax bill in January.
Where do I pay my school taxes?
We have three options for paying school taxes:
- Mail-in Payments. Checks should be made payable to the Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake CSD. Mail payment* along with the appropriate bill stub to:
Tax Processing Unit
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake CSD
PO Box 13929
Albany, NY 12212-3929
* U.S. Postmark determines date of payment.
Express or overnight mail MUST go to:
Tax Processing Unit
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake CSD
845 State Rt. 50 #1389
Burnt Hills, NY 12027 - Online Payments. You may pay your school tax bill online using your debit card, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, AMEX, or Discover) or by e-check. [Pay Your Tax Bill Online] Please note: Credit and debit card payments require a 2.35% site fee. Additionally, there’s a $0.50 site fee on e-checks.
- In-Person Payments: Residents may also pay their school taxes in person at Ballston Spa National Bank, 770 Saratoga Road, Burnt Hills. Tax collection hours are Monday-Friday from 9 am to 1 pm.
What should I do if I find an error or missing exemption on my tax bill?
If the error relates to the property assessment or exemption amounts, please contact the city/town assessor first.
- Ballston: 518-490-2720
- Charlton: 518-384-0152
- Clifton Park: 518-371-6651
- Glenville: 518-688-1200, ext. 6
What is the STAR exemption?
ALL New York State residents who own their own homes can significantly reduce their school property taxes through a School Tax Reduction (STAR) exemption, regardless of age or income. But the savings is not automatic. You have to apply with your town assessor’s office by March 1 to be eligible for the tax break – and seniors who apply for the enhanced exemption must reapply each year. For more information about the STAR program, contact the assessor’s office in your town:
- Ballston: 518-490-2720
- Charlton: 518-384-0152
- Clifton Park: 518-371-6651
- Glenville: 518-688-1200
How are school tax bills determined?
School Decisions
The BH-BL Board of Education decides on a TAX LEVY for the coming school year. This is the total amount of money that the Board determines will be needed to balance the school budget after State Aid and other revenue sources are taken into account.
The overall tax levy is projected before the school budget vote in May, but the school board can amend the levy if conditions change before tax bills are prepared in late August. For instance, when the New York state budget is late and the school board does not know how much income the district will receive from state aid, the projected tax levy can only be an estimate.
Town Decisions
The school district is comprised of parts of four towns: Ballston, Charlton, Clifton Park and Glenville. In the spring, each town prepares a Final Assessment Roll for that year listing all parcels of property and the assessed value of each. Information from these rolls is shared with the school district in late June.
After a town-wide reassessment, nearly every parcel of land will have a new assessed value attached to it. On other years, only a few properties will have new assessed values, typically because they have been sold, subdivided, or the site of new construction.
State ORPTS
The State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) attempts to “equalize” property assessments. It compares properties in each town and how they are currently assessed and calculates an EQUALIZATION RATE for each town. The equalization rate represents the state’s judgment of how closely assessed values in that town match true market value of the properties.
Final equalization rates for our four towns are sent to the school district in August.
Calculations
In late August, the school district uses the total assessed value of land in each town and the state equalization rates to calculate the percentage of the school tax levy that must be paid by landowners in that town that year. In other words, the district first calculates each town’s portion of the overall school tax burden.
Each town’s portion of the tax levy is then divided by the total assessed value of land in that town to determine the school TAX RATE per one thousand dollars of assessed value for that town.
Individual tax bills are calculated using:
- The assessed value of each land parcel.
- Any applicable exemptions (STAR, disability or senior citizen).
- The school tax rate for that town that year.