Jon Campbell

jcampbell1@gannett.com

ALBANY -- A new round of property-tax bills shows Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump again received a school-tax exemption reserved for those making $500,000 or less a year.

Trump's quarterly bill -- dated Friday -- showed a School Tax Relief exemption on his Trump Tower condominium in Manhattan, knocking about $304 off his annual property-tax bill.

The exemption, known as STAR, is only open to those who make less than $500,000 a year. Trump, a real-estate developer whose name is attached to a wide range of properties and products, has long claimed to be a billionaire, with Forbes estimating his net worth to be $4.5 billion.

Trump's property-tax bill raises questions about whether the wealthy real-estate developer received the exemption in error, or if his income is below the STAR threshold.

When it showed up on Trump's previous bill, both the Trump campaign and a New York City spokeswoman said it was an error. But the exemption remained when the city Department of Finance released the latest round of bills late last week.

AP: Trump: I made money on 2009 Moammar Gadhafi Bedford deal

SPECIAL REPORT: Trump’s other adversary in court: The tax man

EXCLUSIVE: Trump's 3,500 lawsuits unprecedented for a presidential nominee

CLINTON returns to Brooklyn with nomination in sight

A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance did not respond to a request for comment Monday, while Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told Crain's New York Business the exemption was an error and a correction "is in process."

Trump's STAR exemption was first reported by Crain's.

After the school-tax exemption and a separate abatement for condo owners, Trump's annual tax bill was $193,222 for the 5th Avenue condo. His residence has an estimated market value of $5.2 million and a billable assessed value of $1.8 million, according to his bill.

Trump's STAR benefit lowered the assessed value of the property by $2,360.

The state Department of Taxation and Finance said Monday it receives a list of STAR recipients each year from New York City. The state agency then reviews the list and sends a file back to the city indicating which homeowners meet the income requirements, with the city left to act on those who aren't eligible.

"We cannot disclose whether any individual taxpayer was eligible or not," said Geoffrey Gloak, a spokesman for the state tax department.