Southold grants 90-day tax extension for furloughed federal workers

Furloughed federal workers living in Southold who were affected by the recent government shutdown will be granted a 90-day extension on their property taxes.

The Southold Town Board voted 6-0 at its Feb. 12 meeting to approve an extension for payment of real property taxes by furloughed or designated non-pay federal employees.

Southold Supervisor Scott Russell said the board was acting to come into compliance with recent state legislation Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed Feb. 1, which waived late payment penalties for federal workers who were furloughed during the shutdown. Collection activities would also be suspended for those workers for 90 days after the April 15 deadline to file income tax returns.

While he had not heard about many people asking for such extensions locally, Russell noted the option would likely be helpful for Southold residents employed in places such as Plum Island, which has several federal facilities.

“The offer is there if people need it, although I can’t quantify how many people will,” Russell said.