HUDSON—Some Columbia County towns and the City of Hudson are allowing their residents to pay 2018 town and county property taxes early–before January 1. A partial list of the towns and their requirements for early payment appear below.
Congress has passed and the president has signed the tax law that caps at $10,000 the deduction for state and local taxes from federal taxes beginning January 1, 2018.
In response, on December 22 Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an emergency Executive Order that allows New Yorkers to pre-pay next year’s property taxes this year, before the new tax law takes effect. Payments must be postmarked by December 31. For more information, taxpayers should contact the tax collector in their town.
The order authorizes localities to issue warrants for the collection of early property tax payments and to accept partial payment, allowing New Yorkers to pay a portion or all of their 2018 property taxes before the end of this year. This will allow taxpayers who itemize their returns to deduct their payments for 2018 on their 2017 federal tax return.
The county Board of Supervisors adopted the 2018 tax warrant Thursday, December 28, which was a required step before towns could accept tax bill pre-payments.
Early payment may not be possible for residents who escrow their taxes through their mortgage, since their January payment has already been scheduled by their mortgage company.
“It is my opinion that we, in Columbia County, will be in compliance with the [governor’s] executive order,” wrote Suzette M. Booy, director of the Columbia County Real Property Tax Service Agency in a December 26 email to town clerks.
- CHATHAM
Cindy Bobseine, chair of town Democratic Committee, said by email that Town Board member John Wapner had spoken with town Supervisor Maria Lull , who confirmed that payment of 2018 property taxes can be made in 2017.
Ms. Bobseine contacted Beth Anne Rippel, Town of Chatham clerk and tax collector, who provided a link for town taxpayers who want to find out their tax payment due by January 31, 2017:
http://egov.basgov.com/chatham/
The amount of taxes for a taxpayer are obtained by entering the Tax bill #, Tax Map #, Property Address, or Owner’s Name.
Payment can be made in person at the Town Hall or will be credited for 2017 payment if your mailing is postmarked by 12/31/2017.
Town Hall Hours this week are: Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information call Ms. Rippel at 518 392-3262.
- COPAKE
Larry Proper, Copake town clerk/collector of taxes posted online that the town is accepting pre-payment of town and county 2018 taxes under the following conditions:
“The amount of your 2018 tax can be obtained by calling the Town Clerk at 518-329-1234 Ext 2, or by emailing
Checks must be dated with a 2017 date and can be hand-delivered to the Clerk’s Office or mailed to:
Town Clerk/Collector of Taxes
Copake Town Hall
230 Mountain View Road
Copake NY 12516.
If hand-delivered, checks must be received no later than noon on Saturday, December 30, 2017. If mailed, the envelope must bear a 2017 postmark.
The Town Clerk’s Office is open: Thursday, December 28, 2017- 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; Friday, December 29, 2017- 9:00 a.m. to Noon; Saturday, December 30, 2017- 9:00 a.m. to Noon.”
Mr. Proper says taxpayers who pay property taxes paid through their mortgage should contact their bank for “information and advice.”
He also notes that 2018-2019 school taxes cannot be pre-paid in 2017.
- GALLATIN
Lisa DeLeeuw, Gallatin town clerk and tax collector, has posted information on the town’s website, gallatin.yourtownhub.com.
Ms. DeLeeuw will accept early payments Friday, December 29 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday, December 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at Gallatin Town Hall.
She will also accept payments by mail that are postmarked December 29, 30 and 31. “By New York State Law,” she writes “payments postmarked before December 29 or after December 31 or that have an illegible postmark will be posted in 2018.”
Gallatin bills cannot be paid online, since those payments have no postmark. The town’s online vendor “will probably load the 2018 tax bills to the website late this week” [the week of December 25].
“Please do not pay the 2017 tax amount,” she writes.
Taxpayers can email Ms. DeLeeuw at or call Town Hall, 518 398-7519, on December 29 or 30 during the clerk’s office hours, and she will give them the correct amount of their tax bill.
- GERMANTOWN
Taxpayers have the option to pick up their 2018 town and county tax bills at Town Hall on Friday, December 29 from 9 to 11 a.m.
After 11a.m. on December 29, bills will be mailed to the address on record.
Town taxpayers now make tax payments at the Bank of Greene County, which has a branch on Route 9G, just south of County Route 8 / Main Street.
The phone number at Town Hall is 518 537-6682. The town clerk’s extension is 302, email is .
- GHENT
The Ghent Community Action Network says that 2018 taxes for the Town of Ghent are now available online at http://egov.basgov.com/ghent/
Payment must be made at the Tax Collector’s Office (in person or by mail)
Anyone with questions should contact the Columbia County tax collector or the town tax collector:
Suzette M. Booy, Director
CC Real Property Tax Service Agency
560 Warren St, 2nd Flr, Hudson, NY 12534
(518)828-7334 (Phone); (518)828-0363 (Fax)
Ghent, Tax Collector, Michelle Radley
518.392.4644
- HILLSDALE
The Town of Hillsdale website, https://hillsdaleny.com/2018 says that town and county tax bill payments can be accepted by postmark or hand-delivered to the Town Hall. Tax Collector office hours:
December 29, Friday 6-8 pm
December 30, Saturday 1-3 pm
If no one is there when you stop by, drop the payment in the mail slot on the front left door.
You can find your tax bill at the website or by contacting or Joe Hanselman, Hillsdale Tax Collector, at or call 518-325-5537 (evenings preferred after 6 pm).
Make checks payable to Hillsdale Tax Collector or Joe Hanselman, Jr., Hillsdale Tax Collector. If you plan to pay your 2018 county and town taxes in 2017, please Print a copy of your tax bill and bring it with you when you pay in person, or mail it with your check.
It also reminds taxpayers that 2018-2019 school taxes cannot be paid early in 2017.
- HUDSON
City treasurer Heather Campbell has put the following information online.
Hudson tax bills can be paid online Friday, December 29 at
https://www.xpress-pay.com/billSelect.asp.
Taxpayers should search for their bill by their name, find all four quarters (assuming they want to pay the entire year) and put all four quarterly installments in their shopping basket to pay. There will be a flat fee of $2.50 for an e-check, or a calculated percent charge based on the amount due if using a credit card.
Those with questions can call the treasurer’s office, 518 828-0212.
UPDATE (4:50 p.m. 12/29/17)–The treasurer reported midday Friday that the automated service had reached its limit for online early payments. Ms. Campbell said the city was “working with our online provider to increase the daily limits” and would post updates.
She also wrote at that time: “The safest option for now is to mail in with a 2017 postmark. Check payable to the City of Hudson, mailed to 520 Warren Street, Hudson NY 12534.”
- KINDERHOOK
The Town of Kinderhook tax collector will be collecting property taxes for 2018 taxes on Friday, December 29, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3p.m. at her new location:
Garnet Technology
2811 Route 9
Valatie, NY 12184
This office is on the same side of Route 9 as Ocean State Job Lot but just south of Ocean State Job Lot.
The town website says that taxpayers may also mail 2018 tax payment to Tax Collector PO Box P, Niverville, NY 12130.
But, the payment envelope must be postmarked no later than December 31, 2017.
- LIVINGSTON
Town Tax bills will be available on Friday 12/29 and residents will be able to prepay them at the Germantown Branch of the Bank of Greene County as usual. A postmark for the 29th or 30th will also be acceptable.
- NEW LEBANON
Tistrya Houghtling, town clerk, advises New Lebanon property taxpayers wishing to pay 2018 property taxes in 2017 to go online to egov.basgov.com/newlebanon and look up their tax bill by typing in their name.
Checks for 2018 early payment must be dated between 12/28/2017 and 12/31/2017
Payments should be sent by mail to
Tammie Darcy, Tax Collector,
PO Box 335,
New Lebanon, NY, 12125
Payments Must Be Postmarked By 12/31/2017
Include bill # from tax bill on memo line of check
For more information call Tammie Darcy 518 337-9347
The New Lebanon Town Clerk’s Office is open Fridays until 7 p.m., 14755 Route 22
518 794-8888,