Tom Golisano "Moves" To Florida Over High NY Taxes

Western NY billionaire—and three time NY gubernatorial candidate—Tom Golisano has had it with New York's taxes so he's changing his legal address to Florida. Hey, if only the little people had residences in Florida too! Notably, it's the increased taxes to wealthier individuals that has Golisano riled up. The Buffalo News reports, "Golisano told a gathering of Rochester business executives that he will remain as owner of the Buffalo hockey team, but he is fleeing the Empire State to avoid paying $13,000 a day in state income taxes. While Golisano said his move will not end his role as outspoken critic of New York state government, it remains uncertain how seriously his cause will be taken at the State Capitol as a resident of the Town of Naples, Fla." Golisano, who is working with another billionaire, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, on possibly revamping the Independence Party, says he'll use the money he's saving (over one year, that would be about $4.75 million) to finance charities and maybe his political action committee.

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By Jen Chung in News on May 15, 2009 11:41 AM

Comments [rss]

Dan Jay

I don't blame him! I hope more millionaires and billionaires walk away
from New York too and I hope the state goes bankrupt because of it. Even Lebron James decided to go to Florida over New York because even he knows he'll get ripped off! New York state is only second to California as the states with the most people moving out. I'm not a millionaire. I own my own business, I employ 10 people and I make $80k a year (not a lot in New York) and I pay $12k a year in just property taxes alone! That's $1,000 a month and a good chunk of my paycheck, GONE. That's besides the notoriously high New York State income taxes and sales taxes. Then they had the balls to add in an MTA Tax for a few years until it was repealed. Regardless, add in federal taxes and I'd say anyone making $100k or more in New York pays a minimum of 50% of their income in taxes. That's just fucking soviet! If I wasn't married to my location I would have moved south a long time ago to get out of this commie state with high taxes, rising toll prices, crumbling roads and unsafe bridges. New York is a beautiful place but it's become overrated and over-priced and the granola heads in Albany couldn't care less.

NannyState

Golisano changed his legal address? Isn't there a tax for that?

Blue387

Maybe Tom Golisano could run for governor of Florida now that Good Time Charlie Crist is running for the Senate.

Blue387

Sorry, double post.

Blue387

Maybe Tom Golisano could run for governor of Florida now that Good Time Charlie Crist is running for the Senate.

Felix Hoenikker

He's likely not going anywhere. Shuffle some paper and voila, a house he probably already owned is primary residence.

ANGRYGOD11

That won't work. If you spend half of the nights of the year in NY, then NY tax collectors will tax you like a resident, because you are one.

If that scam worked, most of us would own a primary home shack in Wyoming or Detroit.

Felix Hoenikker

How would they track such a thing? GPS up the wazoo?

ANGRYGOD11

This is exactly what tax collectors are trained to do: Track the money and the taxpayer. Only homeless drifters leave no paper trail. Phone record logs alone can prove residency (along with credit cards, mail, financial records, email, etc.). Besides, as a hockey team owner, too many people know him in Buffalo.

kissel

if any of you were making even a couple of hundred K a year and NYS+NYC wanted to take 50 grand away from you (more if you own property)that you could keep by simply moving across a state line, I think many of you would. so please... whether he could afford it or not aside, if he doesn't like the way his money is spent by the state he has every right to leave. he made the money, didn't he? you or I have no rights to it.

Politburo

Florida also has a sizable deficit, with a lot more problems on the way (notice how Crist didn't run again).

Anyone want to bet how they'll fix the problem?

cool

He ran for governor three times and lost....maybe it just dawned on him that we don't want him here either. In any case, he's on old man doing the snowbird thing, it's not the taxes, it's called retirement.

ANGRYGOD11

What is billionaire Tom Golisano going to buy with tax savings he couldn't have right now? In Buffalo, he's a god and in Naples he's just another rich snowbird. He's rich enough not to turn his life upside down just because of state taxes. It sounds like an attempted martyrdom in the pettiest sense.

felixthecat2

If only Ghouliani would leave NYC for Florida and take Bloomberg with him. Except they won't be able to get marry in Florida so we are stuck with them.

moocow

sorry, rich flight from ny = myth. i have nothing against buffalo, but florida can take all the rich self-entitled aholes they want. that is the most psychotic state in the country. how many would want to move there full-time anyway? one?

Endless Ike

Rich flight from NY is *NOT* a myth

Splicer

A greedy self-centered wimp. Good riddance to all ass clowns like this jerk.

hotstepper

i think he should secede.

felixthecat2

take away Quinn's slush fund, Bloomberg gave Simcha Felder 5 million of Taxpayer's money to overturn term limits. do you have any idea how much of our money the city council doles out to non-profit that hires their friends and campaigns for them?

fauxsella

I think every billionaire who leaves NY should be legally required to take X number of welfare queens and crackheads with him instead of leaving the rest of us to carry his weight.

Golisano is proof that materialism and absolute individualism are in DNA of jerks like him.