180 Days

If you spend less than 180 days in a state, you are not considered a permanent resident, so you do not have to pay the state and local taxes on your income. Countless people own apartments in NYC and work extraordinarily hard to ensure they do not stay in NY for more than 180 days, making their permanent resident status in places like Florida, where the taxes are much lower. It infuriates me.

Many of these people came to NY to make their fame and fortune, growing their careers from their early 20s. They also raised their families here, but once the kids flew the coop, so did the entire family to keep from paying their taxes. Yet they still return to NY to enjoy all the cultural pleasures available.

We raised our kids in NY, and there is still not a day that I cannot thank my lucky stars for being able to enjoy everything NYC has to offer. We also give back to our city-building businesses and involve ourselves in organizations that impact underserved communities. We feel a responsibility to NY.

That law needs to be changed. The taxes should be pro-rata based on the time you live there and if you own property. Taxes keep our cities running; to think otherwise, you are fooling yourself. Reagonomics and “no new taxes” has taken our nation to a place where we are no longer as strong as we used to be. Our airports, our roads, our military equipment, our schools, and so much more are no longer top in the world or cutting edge because of debt and tax structures. Unclear how we get back without cash, but we could begin with abolishing the 180-day rule and creating a proforma tax structure where you pay to play if you own your residence.