Tax Collector

P.O. Box 232
Hillsdale, NY 12529 Phone: (518) 325-5537
Fax with advance notice at the same phone number
Email: [email protected]

Pay your property tax bills online here.

The Tax Office is open during the month of January. Hours are Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday, 9 am-noon. We are located at the Town Hall. We are also available by appointment by calling our home office at (518) 325-5537.

NOTE: SCHOOL Tax bills are distributed and overseen by the Taconic Hills School Tax Office. Call 518-325-2815 or email: [email protected] .

Town Property Tax Bills

Tax bill information is now available on the web. You can access your tax bill at http://egov.basny.com/hillsdale by entering name, sbl#, tax bill number or property address.

Online payments are now accepted  Payments with Visa and Master Card are accepted with a 2.45% processing fee with a minimum charge of $3.95. American Express is not accepted. Other payment options include Visa Debit card with a flat fee of $3.95 or a $1.75 e-check flat fee.

Duties of the Office of Tax Collector

The Town of Hillsdale Tax Collector is a four-year elected position. Before entering upon the duties of the office, it is required that all Tax Collecting officers take and subscribe to the Constitutional oath of office. Once the Collector has taken the oath, he/she becomes the insurer and guarantor of all money, securities, papers, and records that the law provides shall be in their custody.

The Tax Collector collects the General Property Taxes in January. The bills are mailed in early January. The tax bill covers the period of January 1st. – December 31st. Payments can be made upon receipt of the bill through January 31st, without penalty. If they are paid on/after February 1st, there is a penalty, see below. February 1%
March 2%
April 3% + $2 Second Notice Fee
May 4% + $2 Second Notice Fee

Payments received without the required penalty will be returned to the sender.

School Taxes

The Hillsdale Tax Office does NOT collect School Taxes for the Taconic Hills School District. School Tax Bills are mailed in early September. The due date is specified on the bill. Please contact Vonda Teaney at (518) 325-2815 with any questions you may have regarding School Taxes. Unpaid school tax bills are turned over to Columbia County by November 15 and are re-levied on the following years Property Tax Bill with an additional penalty.

Third Party Request

To assist our elderly and disabled residents, third party notification of tax bills is offered. Property owners who are disabled or 65 years of age or older, and own a one, two, or three-family home, may designate an adult consenting third party to receive duplicate copies of tax bills and notices of unpaid taxes. In order to receive this service, one must fill out a third party notification form RP-923, which is available in the Tax Office.

Many residents have their taxes escrowed with lending institutions. It is the lending institution’s responsibility to notify the town for which they are responsible for paying. Many banks contract with Tax Service Organizations (TSOs), which are agencies that service escrow accounts for the banks. These organizations provide us with a listing of their customers and their identifying account numbers. The larger organizations do this primarily by computer disc. In the event that a resident received 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 that taxes are due. Please call our office immediately and we will issue you a duplicate bill. 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 §922). If you should have received a bill, but have not during the first week of January, please contact this office for a duplicate bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

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 §922). In addition, neither the Tax Collector nor any other official has the legal authority to waive statutory penalty charges. These are fixed by the Real Property Tax Law. If they are waived, the collecting officer will be personally responsible. As all records are audited by State examiners, there is absolutely no discretion in this matter. The Constitution and the law of the State mandate the procedure.2. If I mail my payment on the due date do I have to pay a penalty?fExpand

No. New York State Real Property Tax Law §925, provides as follows: “Payment of taxes by mail, when enclosed in a postpaid wrapper (envelope) properly addressed to the appropriate collecting officer and is deposited in a post office or official depository under the exclusive care and custody of the United States Post Office shall, upon delivery, 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 §925. Payments can not be deemed timely because of a postage meter postmark date on an envelope containing a tax payment (Op. New York State Comp. 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 penalty must be added and collected. No Town Official or employee can waive the penalty (Op. New York State Comp. 68-626).3. Do you accept payment with credit cards?Expand

Yes. Credit Card payments will be accepted with a 2.45% processing fee. An ACH Direct Bank Payment plan is available.4. Can I pay my taxes in installments?Expand

The Town of Hillsdale does accept partial payments. The recommended installment is payments in thirds, the first in January, the second in March, and the final payment in May. Please be aware the penalties are still in effect and does not exempt you from paying them. Please contact this office for the amount due if you are interested in this option, especially the final payment due.5. Can I pre-pay my taxes?Expand

No, the warrant constitutes the mantle of authority for the collecting officer to receive the taxes. Therefore, the warrant must be regarded as the instrument which empowers the collecting officer to begin the collection. Collection authority can not begin prior to the date of the warrant.6. What if my mailing address changes?Expand

Address changes must be made in writing. Notify either the Tax Office or the Assessor’s Office by mail or fax if you wish to change your mailing address.7. What if my mortgage is paid up?Expand

In order to make sure you will receive the tax bills prior to the penalty period (February for Town/County Taxes), you must notify the Tax Office in your Town. Send or fax a copy of the “Satisfaction of Mortgage” letter from your lender.8. How do I apply for exemptions?Expand

All exemptions are handled by the Assessor’s Office. Any questions, please call Pam Cook, Assessor at (518) 325-3636, Fridays between 8:30 am and 12:00 noon or email [email protected].9. Why don’t I see the STAR exemption?Expand

The basic STAR exemption only affects your School Tax portion of your primary residence.