WASHINGTON – There’s nothing certain but death and taxes, but according to U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, upstate New Yorkers who don’t itemize their tax returns are paying more than their fair share.

Current rules are costing the approximately 800,000 homeowners in upstate New York about $415 million per year or more. New legislation proposed by the Senator Wednesday would save the 67,000 homeowners in the Southern Tier alone on average of $290 per year, for a total regional savings of $20 million.

“For most people, the mere mention of April 15 leads to shudders and raised eyebrows. Next year’s tax season may not be so bad,” said Schumer in a conference call to reporters yesterday.

Current rules allow homeowners who do not itemize their taxes to deduct only $500 in property taxes ($1,000 if filing jointly) from their federal tax burden, and even that provision expires at the end of this year.