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SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

NYC Rent Regulation: Rent Control/Rent Stabilized, DHCR Practice/Procedures

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SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby backhoe » Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:15 pm

I'm about to renew my SCRIE benefits. It looks like I'll be coming in just below $50K, but in the future my income may exceed 50K.I have no wages so I have no deductions, even though I pay taxes (quite a lot) every year). In the past it hasn't mattered that I have no deductions but it may in the future.

Here's my question: the SCRIE instructions say taxes withheld are deducted from income in determining eligibility. But what about taxes paid with the return? Or quarterly? The instructions don't address this issue. Does anyone know the answer to this from personal experience? I'm calling SCRIE tomorrow but I have found in the past that they can't address what isn't in the instructions.
backhoe
 
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby TenantNet » Mon Nov 11, 2019 2:49 pm

$50K is still the limit, yes? Perhaps it will get raised by the time your income increases.

I would normally point you to the SCRIE ombudsperson, but as I understand it the position is currently vacant. There is also the DRIE ombudsperson ... you might get answers from that person, if you can reach him/her. I would not trust anyone from 311, even if they claim to know SCRIE. They will not know the answer to your question.

You can also go to the SCRIE office at 66 John St., 2nd floor. I got better answers there.
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby backhoe » Mon Nov 11, 2019 3:08 pm

That's an idea---though the same people answering the questions at the SCRIE office are probably the same people who last year denied my SCRIE incorrectly. I looked up the SCRIE enabling laws online and they don't distinguish between taxes withheld and taxes paid with the return. Nor should they! But I was wondering if anyone had any personal knowledge on this issue.
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby TenantNet » Mon Nov 11, 2019 3:31 pm

The people at the SCRIE office are customer service types, but they aren't the same ones making the decisions. And as far as I know they are not the same ones you get by calling 311. Go to the 2nd floor, get a number and wait until called. Took me about 20-30 minutes. The person with whom I spoke seemed fairly knowledgeable, and he would ask a supervisor if he didn't know.

With any bureaucracy, go with the solution or explanation that will get the job done.
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby backhoe » Mon Nov 11, 2019 4:31 pm

Yeah I may just deduct for all taxes henceforth and appeal if it is denied, which is more or less the tack I took last year. I went all over and couldn't get an answer on the IRA distribution thing. So I just filed for SCRIE and eventually I got it.
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby backhoe » Tue Jan 17, 2023 12:46 pm

Somebody posted another reply just now and then deleted it. Anyway, everything worked out OK, and I am now at a point where my SCRIE is okayed without income info because it has been approved four or five straight years.

I'm on pretty solid ground but I wonder if the city ever goes back to the people it has automaticllay renewed and says "hey, give us proof of income"?
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby TenantNet » Tue Jan 17, 2023 1:13 pm

We believe the person who posted was a spammer. We get many of those every day. Some post; some don't. We use various indicia to to decide, including point of origin or any attempt to hide their location by using a VPN. In other words, a person in Moscow or Pakistan has little interest in NYC rent stab. Also, if they are replying to a thread that was more or less ended a few years back (like this one), that also is a clue. So we deleted the email. And we're happy that your SCRIE issue is resolved. I do not know if they ever come back for income proof, but they do want you to re-certify every year.
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Re: SCRIE Eligibility --- taxes

Postby backhoe » Tue Jan 17, 2023 1:37 pm

OK thanks very much. Happy to provide an update, and I see that the latest SCRIE income worksheet as of 2020, which you posted in a separate thread, reaffirms that IRA distributions are not considered in computing income for SCRIE purposes.
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