The administration of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has extended the deadline for property owners to appeal the city's new pied-à-terre tax by one month, a move that follows significant public backlash over the tax's rollout. The previous deadlines of August 21 for homes and August 24 for co-ops and condominiums have been pushed to September 18 for all property types.
The tax, which targets high-value second homes, was intended by the mayor to primarily affect wealthy individuals who do not reside full-time in the city. However, many full-time residents received notices indicating they might owe substantial amounts, leading to widespread concern.
Approximately 17,000 letters were sent out by the Department of Finance in the past week, a figure higher than the initially estimated 10,000 to 13,000 non-primary residences that were expected to be subject to the surcharge. This broader-than-anticipated reach of the tax notices fueled the criticism.
Council Minority Leader David Carr of Staten Island criticized the initial timeline, stating, "Every homeowner should have ample time to appeal this tax assessment, after they have been properly notified. Giving them less than a month in the middle of the summer is a bad joke." He added that the extension is "the least this administration can do to begin to fix this train wreck."
The new pied-à-terre tax was approved by the state Legislature and signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul earlier this spring. The tax is projected to generate $500 million annually for the city's budget.