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Gov. Cuomo: Estate tax paid by surviving gay spouses to be refunded
'As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,' Cuomo said.
Comments (5)By Glenn Blain / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, July 23, 2013, 8:21 PM
Mike Groll/AP
Gov. Cuomo has announced that he will order refund check sent to
surviving spouses of gay marriages who had to pay estate tax going back
to 2008.
ALBANY — The city woman whose legal battle helped overturn the federal
Defense of Marriage Act will soon get a fat check from state taxpayers.
Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday that he’s ordered the state Tax Department to issue refund checks to the surviving spouses of gay marriages who had to pay estate taxes on money or property they inherited from partners who died as long ago as 2008.
PHOTOS: NEW YORK CITY GAY PRIDE PARADE 2013
Since heterosexual spouses are not subject to estate taxes, the state
stopped collecting New York estate taxes from gay surviving spouses
after New York legalized gay marriage in June 2011 but was barred by
federal law from offering refunds to people like 84-year-old Edie
Windsor, who paid taxes when her partner, Thea Spyer, died in 2009.
Windsor’s fight against the $363,000 federal estate tax bill she received after Spyer’s death led to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month that ordered federal recognition of gay marriage.
PHOTOS: GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY
Now, Cuomo says he’s issuing refunds to people he says were unfairly billed. He hailed the move as “one more step toward justice” for Windsor.
“As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,” Cuomo said.
![“As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,” Cuomo said.](http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1407122.1374625369%21/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/cuomo-politicians-corruption.jpg "“As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,” Cuomo said.")
PHOTOS: NATION CELEBRATES HISTORIC SUPREME COURT RULING ON DOMA
The Cuomo administration could not estimate how much the refunds would cost taxpayers but did not believe it would have a significant impact on the state’s budget.
So far, nine surviving spouses have already filed claims for refunds since the Supreme Court’s decision, officials said.
RELATED: NEW YORKERS MOB GAY PRIDE PARADE POST-DOMA
The offer extends to people who died as long ago as 2008 — three years before the state legalized gay marriage — since three years is the normal statute of limitations for tax claims, officials said.
“I am of course thrilled that I will be getting a refund of the estate tax that I never should have had to pay in the first place,” Windsor said in a statement.
“What makes me even happier, however, is the fact that no other gay person will ever again have to face the indignity of DOMA,” Windsor continued. “Gov. Cuomo has once again kept his promise of equality for all.”
Windsor and Spyer had legally married in Canada in 2007, but under the Defense of Marriage Act their union was not recognized by the federal government.
Windsor’s attorney, Robbie Kaplan, said Windsor expects to receive a refund of $275,000, plus interest, from the state.
GBLAIN@nydailynews.com
Gov. Cuomo announced Tuesday that he’s ordered the state Tax Department to issue refund checks to the surviving spouses of gay marriages who had to pay estate taxes on money or property they inherited from partners who died as long ago as 2008.
PHOTOS: NEW YORK CITY GAY PRIDE PARADE 2013
Windsor’s fight against the $363,000 federal estate tax bill she received after Spyer’s death led to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision last month that ordered federal recognition of gay marriage.
PHOTOS: GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN NEW YORK CITY
Now, Cuomo says he’s issuing refunds to people he says were unfairly billed. He hailed the move as “one more step toward justice” for Windsor.
“As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,” Cuomo said.
Sharon Cantillon/AP
“As a result of [the Supreme Court] decision, New York State is now able to issue refund checks to qualified same-sex spouses who were required to pay taxes for no reason other than their sexual orientation,” Cuomo said.
The Cuomo administration could not estimate how much the refunds would cost taxpayers but did not believe it would have a significant impact on the state’s budget.
So far, nine surviving spouses have already filed claims for refunds since the Supreme Court’s decision, officials said.
RELATED: NEW YORKERS MOB GAY PRIDE PARADE POST-DOMA
The offer extends to people who died as long ago as 2008 — three years before the state legalized gay marriage — since three years is the normal statute of limitations for tax claims, officials said.
“I am of course thrilled that I will be getting a refund of the estate tax that I never should have had to pay in the first place,” Windsor said in a statement.
“What makes me even happier, however, is the fact that no other gay person will ever again have to face the indignity of DOMA,” Windsor continued. “Gov. Cuomo has once again kept his promise of equality for all.”
Windsor and Spyer had legally married in Canada in 2007, but under the Defense of Marriage Act their union was not recognized by the federal government.
Windsor’s attorney, Robbie Kaplan, said Windsor expects to receive a refund of $275,000, plus interest, from the state.
GBLAIN@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/gov-cuomo-estate-tax-paid-surviving-gay-spouses-refunded-article-1.1407123#ixzz2a133cpD7
NY Const. Art 1, Sec. 3 even applies to homosexuals that adore Cuomo's concept of equality and religious freedom at the expense of non believers and other believers. Cuomo is another Wiener.
HI-
Thanks for the help. The item’s
below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing
address.
Claude
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LI Confidential
> Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
NY PML Sec 109 does not pass the laugh test let alone scrutiny by a thinking homosexual.
etters Newsday > Opinion
Letter: Why close racetrack on Palm Sunday?
Photo credit: AP | In this photo provided by New
York Racing Association, Stay Thirsty, left, with Ramon Dominguez
aboard, captures The G1 Cigar Mile horse race at Aqueduct in New York.
(Nov. 24, 2012)
To see what's wrong up in Albany, one only
needs to look at the fact that the Aqueduct Racetrack was closed on
Palm Sunday. On an average Sunday, The Big A has a total handle of
between $6 million and $7 million, of which New York
State takes a percentage.Racing also injects money into the industry, paying jockeys, trainers, grooms, etc. Hundreds of employees -- pari-mutuel clerks and racing officials -- help put on the show, which the state gets a piece of in income taxes.
All of this, worth thousands upon thousands of dollars, was lost because on an antiquated law. Not being allowed to race on Christmas or Easter is OK, but Palm Sunday? The New York Racing Authority races on Thanksgiving, and that's a holiday that the vast majority of us celebrate.
Changing this law would be a slam-dunk revenue creator.
Gerard Bringmann, Patchogue
Editor's note: The writer is both a racing fan and a practicing Catholic.
OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES IN $2M - NY Daily News
www.nydailynews.com/.../open-1st-palm-sunday-otb-rakes-2m-articl...
OPEN ON 1ST PALM SUNDAY, OTB RAKES
IN $2M. By Jerry Bossert / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. Monday, April
14, 2003, 12:00 AM. Print · Print; Comment ...OTB FACES HAND SLAP OVER PALM - NY Daily News
www.nydailynews.com/.../otb-faces-hand-slap-palm-article-1.667233
Apr 16, 2003 – By Jerry Bossert
/ NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ... Aqueduct was also closed on Palm
Sunday, but OTB thrived on action from around the
country.
HI-
Thanks for the help. The item’s
below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing
address.
Claude
Solnik
(631)
913-4244
Long Island Business
News
2150
Smithtown Ave.
Ronkonkoma,
NY 11779-7348
Home >
LI Confidential
> Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
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