Senator Dilan Announces Elimination Of Sales Tax On Clothing

State Senator Martin Malave Dilan (D-Brooklyn) today announced the elimination of the state sales tax on clothing and shoes priced under $110. The provision to eliminate the tax was included in the $112.4 billion state budget that was passed on March 31<sup>st.

"</sup>Not only were we able to pass the second on-time budget in as many years, but we were also able to include some important and useful components. The elimination of the sales tax on clothing is something very important to the hard working families of this state," Senator Dilan said.

Senator Dilan and his fellow colleaguesin the Senate had been working for years to do away with the sales tax on clothing under $110.

"We have been dealing with this regressive tax that placed an undue burden on the poorest families for many years. This is a big win for working families and I am pleased that we were able to finally address this disparity and provide them with some much needed relief," Senator Dilan added.

While the sales tax will not be completely eliminated, it will be cut roughly in half. The provision in the state budget only addresses the state’s portion of the sales tax and does not include the county or city percentages. This will wind up eliminating 4% of the sales tax as long as the clothing and shoes are priced under $110.

The Governor still has until April 12th to veto or accept the budget passed by the legislature.

"It is my hope that the Governor will realize the value of this change in sales tax and accept this portion of the budget. For too long New York’s hardest workers have been forced to carry the bulk of the tax burden. While there is still much work to be done in creating a fair and equitable tax system in New York, this is certainly a step in the right direction," Senator Dilan concluded.