January 21, 2015.

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January 16, 2015. A new study just released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) and the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) finds that the wealthiest New Yorkers are paying a smaller share of their income in state and local taxes than lower-income families that are struggling everyday to make ends meet. New York households with incomes under $100,000 pay higher effective state and local tax rates, ranging from 10.4% to 12%, than the richest 1% of… (read more)

January 14, 2015. Governor Cuomo just announced a $1.66 billion property tax credit program (commonly referred to as a “Circuit Breaker”) to help ease the burden on working class families who are paying too much of their income in property taxes.

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January 13, 2015. The City of New York taxes its wealthiest residents much less than middle- and low-income residents, and state and local officials should fix three major City tax breaks that expire this year, according to a new report from the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI). In a sweeping report that reviews decades of tax changes and trends, FPI pinpoints inequities, tallies the cost of broken tax breaks, and urges tax reforms that reflect today’s economy and current challenges.… (read more)

November 17, 2014. The Board of Directors of the Fiscal Policy Institute announced today that it has appointed Albany veteran Ron Deutsch as Interim Executive Director effective immediately.

After a year of dedicated service, Dr. Frederick G. Floss has decided to return to his position as professor of economics and finance at Buffalo State College but will continue to work with the organization as a Senior Fellow.

“Income inequality and tax fairness will be two of the most important issues… (read more)

September 22, 2014. By James Parrott, FPI Deputy Director and Chief Economist.

Introduction

In the context of the continued global concentration of income and wealth, a growing number of ultra-luxury residences in New York City are being bought by people who are not full-time city residents. For many such owners, a Manhattan pied-à-terre is one among several residences they own around the world for occasional use. Some owners see it as an investment, or simply as a place to park… (read more)

June 9, 2014. In 2013, 70% of Fortune 500 companies used tax havens. More of these companies were based in New York than in any other state, depriving New York of considerable tax revenue.

The practice of “booking profits” in foreign countries where there are few or no taxes is examined in a new study released yesterday by U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG) and Citizens for Tax Justice (CTJ), “Offshore Shell Games 2014: The Use of Offshore… (read more)

May 20, 2014. It comes as no surprise to working families that New York State’s tax system is fundamentally unfair. Low- and middle-income workers pay, on average, a much higher share of their income in state and local taxes than the highest income earners. According to analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, the 40% of New York’s tax filers with the lowest incomes pay at least 10% of their income in state and local taxes… (read more)

May 19, 2014. In this op-ed in The Chief, James Parrott discusses Mayor de Blasio’s Executive Budget and the impact of the UFT labor settlement.

May 12, 2014. Today’s joint announcement by Mayor de Blasio and Comptroller Stringer clarifies a City budget accounting question regarding an obligation the City incurred in connection with the recent labor settlement with the United Federation of Teachers.  The payments in question pertain to UFT members retiring after June 30, 2014 and cover wage increases for the first two years (2009 and 2010) of the recently settled contract.

Officials of both the Mayor’s and the Comptroller’s offices have confirmed that… (read more)