New York Senate Bill S09541

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/23/26
• Refer: 3/23/26

Caption

Requires a collecting officer of taxes to accept payments of tax, including any interest due thereon, rounded to the nearest five cent denomination for taxpayers seeking to pay therefor with legal tender.

Summary

This bill amends the Real Property Tax Law to require that property tax amounts extended on the final assessment roll be rounded to the nearest five-cent denomination before tax bills are issued. The same rounding rule would also apply to any interest or penalties that accrue later, and those rounded amounts would be reflected in the warrant delivered to the collecting officer. The bill also provides that no further adjustment may be made by the collecting officer at the time of collection because of the rounding. In practical terms, taxpayers would receive tax bills and notices with amounts stated in five-cent increments, and collecting officers would be required to accept payment of those rounded amounts. The act would take effect on January 1 following enactment.

Impact

The bill would change how local property tax amounts are calculated, billed, and collected under section 904 of the Real Property Tax Law. It would impose a uniform rounding requirement on tax rolls, warrants, tax bills, and later-accruing interest or penalties, affecting local tax collectors, municipalities, and property taxpayers. The measure is intended to standardize small-dollar amounts and eliminate penny-level discrepancies in tax collection.

Sentiment

The available context suggests the bill is procedural and technical rather than controversial. The caption indicates support for allowing collecting officers to accept tax payments rounded to the nearest five cents when taxpayers use legal tender, which suggests a practical, convenience-oriented purpose. No committee transcripts or recorded votes are available, so there is no evidence of opposition or debate in the provided materials.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the mandatory rounding of tax liabilities and related charges, which could raise questions about precision, administrative implementation, and whether taxpayers or local governments gain or lose small amounts over time. Another possible issue is the interaction between the bill text, which focuses on rounding amounts on the assessment roll and bills, and the caption, which emphasizes acceptance of rounded payments by collecting officers. However, no specific objections, amendments, or recorded dissent appear in the provided record.