State officials say about nine in ten New York homeowners eligible for the STAR property tax rebate have registered to maintain the benefit.

New York last year required homeowners to re-register for the local school tax breaks because of reports of widespread abuse and fraud.

State Tax Commissioner Thomas Mattox told a legislative hearing Monday that 2.4 million households out of roughly 2.7 million have registered.

The tax department is still accepting late registrations, but Mattox says state tax officials will begin notifying local assessors to remove exemptions from the tax rolls on March 7.

Mattox added though that homeowners have until the end of the year to contact the tax department to have their exemptions reinstated.

(AP)