Westchester County Executive George Latimer is reminding residents to check their heating bill almost a month in to his initiative to suspend sales tax collection on home energy costs from Dec, 1 to Feb. 28. The sales tax suspension covers home heating oil, propane, natural gas, electric, coal and wood for residential heating purposes and covers homeowners as well as rental units.
Latimer said: “Westchester County Government is constantly looking to find ways to make the lives of residents a little easier. This winter, heating your home will now cost you a little less. As we all face rising costs in our daily lives, this suspension of certain sales tax will add extra dollars to the wallets of those who call Westchester home.”
The County portion is 4 percent however, residents of Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, White Plains and Yonkers will see a reduction of 1.5 percent as these cities have their own sales tax.
Landlords and renters will be eligible depending on the structure of the unit’s heat and electric use. The initiative is administered by the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance; the vendors will not be assessing sales tax as directed by the State. The sales tax will automatically be taken off the bill.
Latimer said: “If you see you are being charged Westchester County sales tax for any home energy item starting December 1 please contact the County right away at (914) 995-2900.”
This measure is in addition to the myriad of actions taken by the Latimer Administration and the Board of Legislators to combat rising inflationary costs nationwide. Those actions include the capping of sales tax on gasoline purchases, waiving of fees at certain parks and pools and – most notably – suspending fares on Bee-Line buses.