Jimmy Vielkind reports at Capitol Confidential state officials are urging homeowners who claim the STAR exemption to register with the Department of Taxation and Finance. The new requirement is being implemented this year to crack down on fraud. The exemptions can be worth an average of $700 on annual school tax bills, and is granted for a person or family’s primary residence if their annual income is less than $500,000. The application process for the exemption normally goes through the local assessor and until now, there's been no database of the roughly 2.6 million exemptions statewide. It is being implemented to catch people who might cheat and claim exemptions on multiple properties. New Yorkers have until December 31 to register. Property owners can register online or call (518) 457-2036 for information. There is also an online tutorial and video. Read the full post at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.