The Fiscal Policy Institute stands in solidarity with protesters voicing outrage over the recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the long history of violent abuse and killing of Black people at the hands of police in city after city, town after town, year after year.

Black lives matter. Yet the history of racism built into our society actively harms Black people. We must do better for our state and our nation.

In our research at the Fiscal … (read more)

For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020

(Albany, NY) Today the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) released a set of recommendations to safeguard New York’s budget process and ensure a just budget for all. Predictions of a budget shortfall preceded the unforeseen economic impact of the pandemic and FPI urged leadership to think beyond the continued use of the same austerity budget measures put in place year after year. Now, faced with the urgent needs of our community members, FPI urges … (read more)

New York State is dealing with a pandemic that demands sudden and unusual changes in our everyday lives. The need for societal change including social distancing and restricting public gatherings to protect our health is clear. The question is what will be the economic cost of our necessary public health policy and how will we pay for it?

Explore these pressing issues with us in our new brief:

At the time of this writing, our state is trying to reach … (read more)

January 6, 2020

As the New York State legislative session begins with the state facing a multi-billion-dollar state budget deficit, the question is clear—what kind of New York do we want and how will we get there?  The Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) urges Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie to choose sound economic and social policies that promote growth and development for the many rather than the few so that all New … (read more)

You are invited to FPI’s new FREE event”Tax Justice NY: Moving from Austerity to Prosperity” in Albany on Monday, December 9th, from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm in Meeting Room 5, Empire State Plaza. Our state’s tax policy is a tool we can all use to eliminate existing racial, ethnic, and gender inequities and increase economic equality for all New Yorkers.  We are excited to partner with state and national advocacy organizations to bring these informative and energizing panel discussions … (read more)

More than 6.5 million New York State residents would directly benefit from the Working Families Tax Relief Act (WFTRA) which would provide tax credits and tax reductions to struggling workers and their families. WFTRA would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families with children and strengthen it for workers not raising children. The legislation would also make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) refundable, allowing children in families with lower incomes to fully benefit from the program.

Learn more … (read more)

We can use federal tax policy to help struggling New Yorkers and support local communities with the Working Families Tax Relief Act (WFTRA). More than 6.5 million New York State residents would directly benefit from WFTRA’s tax credits and tax reductions to boost incomes – especially helpful as most workers have seen their wages stagnate. WFTRA would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families with children and strengthen it for workers not raising children. The legislation would also … (read more)