State
Taxes
Photo: Beyond My Ken · CC BY-SA 4.0
New York should raise taxes on its highest earners to pay for public programs.
Politician
Stance
KH
Kathy Hochul
G
Mixed
BB
Bruce Blakeman
G
Don’t raise
LJ
Letitia James
A
Not on record
SK
Saritha Komatireddy
A
Not on record
TD
Thomas DiNapoli
C
Not on record
JH
Joseph Hernandez
C
Don’t raise
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You
Where do you stand?
Against
Not sure
For
The issue
Whether New York should raise income taxes on its highest earners to pay for public programs.
In 2026 state budget talks, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani asked for a 2-point income tax increase on city residents earning over $1 million. Gov. Kathy Hochul refused to raise income tax rates, backing a tax on luxury second homes instead.
Raise
Top earners can afford to pay a bit more, and the money can fund child care, schools, and transit that everyone uses.
Don’t raise
New York already collects the most tax per person of any state, and higher rates could push top earners and their taxes elsewhere.
Good to know
1
Filers with over $1 million in income paid 44.6% of all New York State personal income tax in tax year 2024. Source ↗
2
New York collects just over $12,000 per person in state and local taxes, the most of any state, per the Citizens Budget Commission. Source ↗
3
Mamdani estimated his 2-point tax on millionaires would raise about $3 billion. Source ↗
Words to know
Surtax
An extra tax added on top of the regular rate, usually only on income above a set amount.
Pied-à-terre tax
A yearly tax on expensive homes owned by people whose main home is somewhere else.
Latest
Spectrum News (citing Citizens Budget Commission)
Report: New York state is number 1 in taxing, number 2 in spending
2026-09-24
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NY1
Hochul says new taxes could drive wealthy out of N.Y.
2026-03-11
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New York Focus
State Legislature Backs Tax Hikes on Wealthy, Adding Fuel to Mamdani's Push
2026-03-10
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NYS Dept. of Taxation and Finance
Tax Facts: Personal income tax
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