Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Hotels didn't pay taxes

From the Daily News:

TOURISM IS booming in New York, despite the struggling economy, but the cash-strapped city carelessly allowed a group of hotels to avoid paying millions in taxes, a new city audit has found.

The Bloomberg administration initially failed to collect a total of $8.9 million from 92 hotels and hostels over the last decade — and that does not include fines or interest, according to the audit by city Controller John Liu’s office.

The problem, the audit showed, was that hotels are allowed to voluntarily register with the city after they open for business. Liu’s auditors found that 64 hotels and 20 hostels and bed-and-breakfasts never bothered to do so. Another eight were caught underreporting what they owed.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"carelessly allowed a group of hotels to avoid paying millions in taxes"

Oh yeah, I'm sure it was just a simple matter of "carelessness" and not something like a certain group of hotel owners made substantial direct or indirect 'donations' to Bloomberg and his pals.

At least good on Liu for bringing this to light - as much bad PR as he gets on this site (perhaps deserved) at least he seems to do SOME things of a positive nature.

Anonymous said...

Is Johnny's buddy, Sam Chang, one of these hotel owner?

Anonymous said...

Yep....
the same Sam Chang who runs the
"New World Mall" on Roosevelt Ave in Flushing.

Then there's
John Liu's cousin Tommy Huang.

Is he one of Comptroller Liu's "bundlers"?

Anonymous said...

I have Hotels on my block here in North Flushing. I bet the money collected is not reported on the home owners taxes too. Dose anyone remember the house on 156th Street behind IHOP on Northern Blvd. ?
Cars and taxis coming from the airport all day. :-(