NY State Senate Bill 2021-S693

Senate Bill S693

2021-2022 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 05, 2022	referred to investigations and government operations
Jan 06, 2021	referred to investigations and government operations

2021-S693 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A1555
Current Committee:: Senate Investigations And Government Operations
Law Section:: Taxation
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S4570, A6766
2015-2016: S495, A945
2017-2018: S70, A5203
2019-2020: S11, A825
2023-2024: S3256, A599

2021-S693 (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.

2021-S693 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S693

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN
 
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.

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 essen-
tial government programs like public education and food safety regu-
lation. 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.0011 of 2019-2020 (Hoylman): Died in Investigations and Government
Operations
A.0825 of 2019-2020 (Rosenthal L): Died in Ways and Means
S.0070 of 2017-2018 (Hoylman): Died in Investigations and Government
Operations
A.5203 of 2017-2018 (Rosenthal): Died in Ways & Means

S.495 of 2015-2016 (Hoylman): Died in Investigations & Government Oper-
ations
A.945 of 2015-2016 (Rosenthal): Died in Ways & Means
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.

2021-S693 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    693
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
 

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00737-01-1

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