Tom Golisano Discusses Tax-Dodging Move

Last week, western NY billionaire, former gubernatorial candidate and owner of the Buffalo Sabres Tom Golisano announced he was changing his legal address to Florida, to avoid paying about $4.75 million more a year in taxes, thanks to the state's increased taxes for higher income brackets. Yesterday, he told reporters he was frustrated with the State Senate Democrats (he backed quite a few of them during the election) for passing the measures, "One or two of those senators could have said, ‘Wait a minute, we'd better take a look at this budget.' A 9 percent increase in a recession. But none of them had the fortitude to do that, which is absurd." Golisano added, "Nobody wants to leave New York. Just economically, it makes so much sense to leave it, and that's because of the irresponsible government we've had." Still, the State Department of Taxation and Finance tells the Buffalo News, "If you’re a nonresident making money in New York, you are going to pay taxes to some extent." The Buffalo News points out that Golisano is dating Monica Seles (ewww), also splits her time in NY and Florida.

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By Jen Chung in News on May 19, 2009 1:15 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

First Monica Seles gets stabbed...and now she's dating him? Talk about post-traumatic stress...

TKaisen

People with means will leave this state because they can afford to. The people who will be left to pay the taxes are less able to. You people that think this are good are short-sighted.

McGG

I am so sick of hearing about all of these people with means who are fleeing the state. Shut your pie hole and let a few people leave for Texas and Florida, they'll be back before you know it.

Felix Hoenikker

The ROI to spend 182 days/year in FL is a no-brainer, and there's a chance the tax rate may go back down in an election or three.

rlb14

> The people who are happy to pay twice as much in medical expenses for half as many people as CA are the problem.

While I agree NYS is on a downward economic slide, CA is broke. Albany is a mess and wastful spending has gone on for too many years. Never happy to overpay (as we do), but to cut funding now in the middle of the mess, that really wouldn't help.

Endless Ike

he's already left, you shortsighted jingoistic self-important blowhard commenters.

You and I and all of New York State is worse off for it, and he is better off for it.

New York is dying, and the people who are happy to be the most heavily taxed state in the country are problem. The people who are happy to pay twice as much in medical expenses for half as many people as CA are the problem. The people who are happy to see self-made men flee their homes to more business friendly climates are the problem

You, dear commenters, are the problem.

mattyrudes

He actually hasn't already left. He's splitting time between FL and NY. He only changed his address to avoid paying NY taxes while staying and enjoying the services that are provided from those taxes. If he cared at all about the state of the economy in New York, he'd do us all a solid and pay his minor increase in taxes.

hotstepper

the sky is falling! the sky is falling!

Endless Ike

Texas now has more Fortune 500 corporations than New York..it's been a precipitous decline over the the past decade, and the fall of finance is only likely to increase that rate of businesses fleeing for friendly pastures.

Rocknrope

If this means that one day I won't have to live in NYC to find an adequate variety of jobs in different industries, I look forward to more departures.

Smitty025

Well said.

mattyrudes

If you don't to pay taxes and invest in NY's infrastructure, then shut up and leave.

brooklynbs

Yea, Golisano only founded and managed a company that now employs more than 12,500 people, many of them in New York State; and, he's only given away more than $120 million over the past twenty-five years as an individual and through his foundation to organizations like veteran's outreach centers, children's hospitals, schools and universities, with virtually all of the money going to Western and Upstate New York organizations. He's such a horrible person that he bought a bankrupt National Hockey League franchise in an effort to keep it in Buffalo.

I'm sure you've done more for the infrastructure and people of New York.