This page helps you understand what is on your property tax bill, when it is due, and which parts you may be able to lower. A plain-English guide to your tax bill — rates, deadlines, exemptions, and what to watch.
Open Tax CalculatorPenn Yan property owners receive up to three separate tax bills per year — each from a different agency, on a different schedule.
Pay to: Yates County Treasurer
Town of Milo taxes + Yates County taxes for all properties
Pay to: Village Hall, 111 Elm Street
Village of Penn Yan taxes only (Village residents only)
Pay to: Penn Yan Central School District
Penn Yan CSD taxes for all properties in the district
Town of Milo residents outside the Village receive two bills: Town/County (January) and School (October). Village residents receive three: Village (June), Town/County (January), and School (October).
Your total property tax rate depends on where your property is located. Every Penn Yan area property pays the school tax. Village residents also pay the Village rate. All rates are per $1,000 of assessed value — the number on your tax bill, not what your home would sell for today.
| Taxing Authority | Rate per $1,000 | Who Pays | What It Funds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn Yan CSD | $8.814 | All properties in district | Teachers, busing, sports, school buildings — usually the largest single line item |
| Village of Penn Yan (Milo side) | $13.957 | Village residents (Milo portion) | Police, streets, parks, Village utilities |
| Village of Penn Yan (Benton side) | $16.495 | Village residents (Benton portion) | Same as above — slightly higher rate |
| Yates County | $4.611 | All properties (Milo) | Sheriff, Public Health, Social Services, county roads |
| Town of Milo | $1.138 | Town of Milo properties inside district | Town roads, clerk, court, local government |
| Town of Milo (outside district) | $2.556 | Rural Milo properties | Same as above — higher rate, fewer ratables |
| Penn Yan Library | $0.341 | Village and nearby properties | Library operations, programs, staff |
| Penn Yan Fire Protection | $0.376 | Covered district properties | Penn Yan Volunteer Fire Department |
2025 Yates County Town/County Tax Rate Summary and Village Tax Rates (official documents). Yates County assessments are at 100% equalization — your assessed value should equal full market value.
Property taxes and utility bills are not the same thing. Property taxes fund local governments and the school district, while your electric, water, and sewer bills pay for the services you use and the systems that deliver them. One can go up without the other — they are two separate parts of your total cost of living in Penn Yan.
Several exemptions and appeal rights can reduce what you owe. Many residents qualify for programs they've never applied for.
If you own and live in your home as your primary residence and meet the income rules, Basic STAR can lower the school-tax part of your bill on approximately $30,000 of your assessed value.
Apply: tax.ny.gov/star
If you are 65 or older, own and live in your home, and meet the income limit (~$98,700 household income for 2025), Enhanced STAR gives you a bigger break on school taxes — approximately $70,000 off your assessed value.
Apply: tax.ny.gov/star
Separate from STAR — if you are a qualifying lower-income senior homeowner, this local-option exemption can reduce the assessed value used for village, town, county, and other local taxes (not just school taxes).
Contact: Yates County Real Property Tax Services: (315) 536-5165
If you are a qualifying veteran — especially if you served in combat or have a service-connected disability — you may be able to reduce the taxable value of your home and lower your overall bill.
Contact: Yates County Real Property Tax Services: (315) 536-5165
If your land is actively used as a working farm and meets state requirements, agricultural assessment can tax that land based on farm use value instead of full market value — which often lowers the bill significantly.
Contact: Yates County Real Property Tax Services: (315) 536-5165
If you think your assessment is too high or unfair compared with similar properties, Grievance Day — the fourth Tuesday in May — is your annual deadline to formally challenge it and ask for a reduction. You can request comparable sales data via FOIL to build your case.
FOIL guide → /transparency/foil-requests
The school tax is usually the biggest part of a homeowner's property tax bill. It is also the one major tax line residents get to vote on directly, during the school budget vote held on the third Tuesday in May. If you want a direct say in the largest piece of your bill, that is your vote.
When a big project gets a tax break, the town, village, county, and school still have bills to pay. That missing tax money does not just vanish — it can mean more of the cost gets shifted onto everyone else. For homeowners, that is the question that matters most: if one property pays less, who makes up the difference?
Economic development projects in Yates County often receive Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreements through the IDA — reducing or eliminating property taxes for years. During a PILOT period, some of the tax burden that would otherwise fall on that project can be shifted onto the rest of the tax base. No PILOT terms for any active Yates County project reviewed for this page have been made publicly available.
Learn more → /topics/development/route-14aIf a property in the Town of Milo is annexed into the Village of Penn Yan, the property owner begins paying Village tax rates — in addition to County and School taxes. For a Town of Milo property at $165,000 assessed value, this can mean a significant increase in the annual tax bill. The Route 14A McFetridge Farm annexation proposal would shift approximately 90+ acres from Milo rates to Village rates.
Enter your assessed value and see your full 2025 tax breakdown — by jurisdiction, with STAR exemption and annexation comparison.
/topics/taxes/tax-calculatorFind your current assessed value at the Yates County property search.
Or call Yates County Real Property Tax Services: (315) 536-5165
yates.sdgnys.comRequest tax documents, comparable sales data for your Grievance Day appeal, or PILOT terms for any IDA project.
/transparency/foil-requestsVillage and Town budget documents, utility fund reports, and financial statements.
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