Report: New York’s Wireless Taxes Among Nation’s Highest

December 17th, 2018

Last week, the Washington D.C.-based Tax Foundation released its annual report on wireless taxes and fees.  As in prior years, New York imposes some of the highest wires taxes in the nation – taxes make up 25.2% of the average New York resident’s wireless bill.

High wireless taxes limit the ability of wireless consumers – especially those on fixed budgets such as seniors, working families and small businesses – to access the Internet. That’s why Unshackle Upstate supports legislation that would repeal the state’s sales and use tax on wireless telephone services, and would authorize local governments to exempt such services from local sales and use taxes. We urge state lawmakers to reduce the high state and local taxes on wireless services, and in doing so not only provide much-needed tax relief, but also ensure that more New Yorkers can fully participate in the growing digital economy.