Pay your taxes or lose your license Aug 5, 2013

Pay your taxes or lose your license

State warns scofflaws who owe $10G could lose driving privileges

Jimmy Vielkin, Times Union

By Jimmy Vielkind

Published 10:10 pm, Monday, August 5, 2013

Page 1 of 1

Albany

Some 16,000 delinquent taxpayers were put on notice Monday: Pay up or lose your driver’s license.

The Department of Taxation and Finance sent the warnings to implement new provisions of law enacted with the state budget. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, authored the proposal.

“Our message is simple: Tax scofflaws who don’t abide by the same rules as everyone else are not entitled to the same privileges as everyone else,” Cuomo said in a press release.

“These worst offenders are putting an unfair burden on the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers who are hardworking, law-abiding taxpayers,” he continued. “By enacting these additional consequences, we’re providing additional incentives for the state to receive the money it is owed, and we’re keeping scofflaws off the very roads they refuse to pay their fair share to maintain.”

According to Taxation and Finance, 153 Albany County drivers face suspension for owing a total of $8.4 million in back taxes; 65 drivers in Rensselaer County have their licenses in peril for owing $3.8 million; 120 Saratoga County drivers owe $5.7 million; and 62 drivers in Schenectady County could be suspended for owing $4.6 million.

Businesses or individuals who owe less than $10,000 will not be affected.

According to the Department of Taxation and Finance, 96 percent of taxpayers file on time. Officials estimate the new program will increase collections by $26 million this year, and $6 million each year once it comes online.