NY State Senate Bill 2015-S495

Senate Bill S495

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Directs the department of taxation and finance to create and implement an online program which will enable New York state taxpayers to electronically file income tax returns free of charge

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Investigations And Government Operations Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to investigations and government operations
Jan 07, 2015	referred to investigations and government operations

2015-S495 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A945
Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Taxation
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S4570, A6766
2017-2018: S70, A5203
2019-2020: S11, A825
2021-2022: S693, A1555
2023-2024: S3256, A599

2015-S495 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the department of taxation and finance to create and implement an online program which will enable each New York state taxpayer to prepare and electronically file his or her federal and state income tax returns free of charge.

2015-S495 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S495

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act directing the department of taxation and
finance to create and implement an online program which will enable
each New York state taxpayer to prepare and electronically file his or
her federal and state income tax returns free of charge

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section One of the bill states that the department of taxation and
finance is authorized and directed to create and implement an online
program which will enable each New York State taxpayer to prepare and
electronically file his or her federal and state income tax returns
free of charge, regardless of the taxpayer's income level. The program
shall be made available to all New York State taxpayers in the
department's website no later than one hundred eighty days following
the effective date of this act.

 EXISTING LAW : New law

 JUSTIFICATION : This legislation shall direct the New York State
Department of Taxation and Finance to create an online program for all
New York State taxpayers to prepare and file their federal and state
income tax returns for free. Currently, there are a number of
different for-profit companies offering so-called "Free File," but
they often include hidden fees, and only taxpayers within certain

income ranges are eligible. Many years into the digital age, our
government is entirely capable of offering free online tax preparation
and electronic filing without forcing the taxpayer to be duped into
using possibly dubious private online tax preparation services.

It is a solid and fundamental principal that taxes are what we pay for
civilized society, and most New Yorkers are proud to help pay for
essential government programs like public education and food safety
regulation. Yet there is no justification for the fees charged by
for-profit tax prep and e-filing companies, which serve as obsolete
intermediaries in the digital age. Countless government services can
be easily accessed on government websites-from registering to vote to
applying for public benefits to making complaints about potholes-and
there is no reason that filing tax returns should be any different.
We don't force people making more than $57,000 to pay a private
company for help registering with the Selective Service System, and
the State of New York should not allow it for the filing of taxes
either.

Government should be embracing technology, not using it as a way to
direct people to the services of for-profit companies.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :  S.4570 of 2013-2014 (Hoylman): Died in
Investigations A.6766 of 2013-2014 (Rosenthal): Died in Ways & Means

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : To be determined

 EFFECTIVE DATE : This act shall take effect immediately.

2015-S495 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                   495

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. HOYLMAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Govern-
  ment Operations

AN ACT directing the department of taxation and finance  to  create  and
  implement  an  online  program  which  will enable each New York state
  taxpayer to prepare and electronically file his  or  her  federal  and
  state income tax returns free of charge

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The department of taxation and finance  is  authorized  and
directed  to  create  and  implement an online program which will enable
each New York state taxpayer to prepare and electronically file  his  or
her  federal  and state income tax returns free of charge, regardless of
the taxpayer's income level. This program shall be made available to all
New York state taxpayers on the department's website no later  than  one
hundred eighty days following the effective date of this act.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.





 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01217-01-5

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