Business Council statement on "Tax Freedom Day"

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14
May
2018

More than a month after many other states, New Yorkers finally "celebrate".

ALBANY, N.Y.—“Today, New York finally joins the rest of the country in “celebrating” what the Tax Foundation calls “Tax Freedom Day”. If you’re unfamiliar, Tax Freedom Day is the day in which a typical taxpayer has fulfilled their tax obligations to their state and country. Obviously, being last on this list is very bad for New York and its residents. In fact, New York’s freedom day is one of only three states (including NJ and CT) in the month of May, and nearly one month behind the nation as a whole (April 19th). New Yorkers’ “freedom” arrives a full 41 days after Alaska and Louisiana, the states with the earliest Tax Freedom Days. Despite this dubious distinction, powerful special interests and voices in New York government are calling for increasing the tax burden on New York businesses and high-earners.

It was Governor Andrew Cuomo himself who once said, “New York has no future as the tax capital of the nation.” We couldn’t agree more. As the Governor and the Legislature wind down the 2018 legislative session, we hope they view all pieces of potential legislation through this high-tax lens. With many upstate counties losing population, and failing to regain the jobs lost during the Great Recession, it is incumbent on all of us to enact pro-growth policies that foster innovation and job creation.”

This statement is attributed to Heather C. Briccetti, Esq., president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc.