New York City Voters Hit With 5-Figure Tax Bill

New Yorkers are receiving unexpected tax bills in the mail, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani doesn’t seem too concerned. A pied-à-terre tax that was supposed to target wealthy visitors appears to be targeting normal NYC residents as well, sparking outrage over the unexpected tax bills.

As reported by The New York Post:

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is taking flak on social media for celebrating New York’s new pied-à-terre tax with a taunting statement to wealthy residents.

“If you have a second home in New York City worth more than $5 million, check your mailbox when you’re back in the five boroughs — because you’ve got mail,” the democratic socialist mayor posted on X Thursday.

“Today, we sent notification letters to property owners, letting them know that our new pied-à-terre tax is coming soon,” Hizzoner wrote.

“The best city in the world deserves the best parks, libraries, and schools in the world. That’s only possible when we all pay our fair share.”

Mamdani’s post, which had raked up more than 14 million views by Friday, sparked a wave of backlash, with conservative users lambasting the lefty politician for squeezing taxpayers to cover his freebie-filled agenda.

“This may be the first time I’ve ever seen a politician gloat over raising taxes,” Fox News Digital Columnist David Marcus posted on X.

The socialist darling has repeatedly crowed about the policy enacted by Gov. Kathy Hochul and Albany Democrats that will tax luxury second homes in the Big Apple — though critics have warned it could cause property values to plummet.

The Post reported late last month that the city Department of Finance was sending out the first surcharge notices to owners of thousands of multimillion-dollar second residences to let them know they’d been deemed eligible for the tax.  

You probably remember not so long ago when Mamdani made a video standing in front of a Manhattan apartment building, telling the world that upstairs was an apartment owned by a specific billionaire who does not live here as his primary residence. And by Mamdani’s logic, if the owner doesn’t live there full-time, that justifies the city slapping a new tax on him. In other words, the mayor essentially doxed an American citizen because they are wealthy, and practically said, Here’s where you can find said billionaire whenever they’re in town.

Now, of course, the billionaire is paying all the normal New York taxes as a property owner. And some would say that this sort of owner is the best because they pay for all of the infrastructure but rarely, if ever, use any of it. They’re not clogging up the streets or transportation systems. They’re not generating as much trash as full-time residents. But Mamdani decided to single him – and other property owners like him – out.

Never mind the inherent potential danger that could pose to innocent civilians.

And now the letters have started to arrive announcing this tax going into effect for people who have property in New York that is not their primary residence. And if you know New York, it is a city composed mostly of condos and apartments, which will affect a considerable number of people.

But even more disturbing, the city has now created a database where anyone can log in and search to see who these owners are. The mayor doxed one billionaire, and now he’s providing the tools for New Yorkers to do it to each other with this searchable list with all the property values within the city. The database includes the names and addresses of the owners.

There are people like an 81-year-old woman who has lived in her Upper West Side town home for 30 years. She should not be subject to this pied-à-terre tax. She lives there full-time. Yet according to CBS News, she got the notice. She has until August 21 to prove she’s exempt from the new tax, or else she has to pay a whopping $56,000.

The question on everyone’s mind: How far will this go?

  Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of these new tax bills hitting property owners in New York City, courtesy of Zohran Mamdani.

Watch the full broadcast below: