ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The state will mail inflation refund checks to over 8 million people starting in October. The one-time payments are supposed to blunt the effects of the affordability crisis by returning a portion of inflated sales taxes already paid by New Yorkers.
According to the Department of Taxation and Finance, payments will go to New Yorkers who qualify automatically, so there’s no need to apply. They’ll use information from filed tax returns to determine eligibility and mailing addresses.
Checks will be mailed out over several weeks starting in the middle of October, which the Tax Department blamed on the sheer volume. Those mailings won’t be following any specific schedule based on zip code or region. And even if your previous tax refunds were direct deposited, these refunds will be physical checks coming from the Tax Department of Inflation Payment, like in the image below:
To qualify for the refund, New Yorkers must have filed a 2023 Form IT-201 resident income tax return and not been claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return for that year. Part-year residents in 2023 receive no check.
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Refunds depend on adjusted gross incomes and filing status. Single filers, heads of household, and married individuals filing separately who make under $75,000 get $200, while those making between $75,000 and $150,000 get $150. Married couples filing jointly and qualified surviving spouses making under $150,000 get $400, and those between $150,000 and $300,000 get $300.
If you’ve moved since filing a 2024 tax return or you haven’t filed yet for 2024, update your address with an Individual Online Services Account through the Department of Taxation and Finance. And according to the Tax Department, their contact center representatives won’t have any information about the status of individual checks.
New York’s first-ever inflation refunds were agreed to in the 2025-2026 New York State budget. Negotiations between Governor Kathy Hochul and the legislature included earmarking $2 billion for the checks. Critics have made the case for using those billions to offset federal cuts under President Donald Trump, questioning whether the checks are a gimmick from the governor to secure votes as she faces reelection.
