MAYOR ADAMS AND COMMISSIONER MAYUGA KICK OFF TAX SEASON, URGE NEW YORKERS TO SIGN UP FOR FREE TAX PREPARATION SERVICES AND GET MONEY BACK IN THEIR POCKETS

 

Announcement Comes as the City, Last Week, Celebrated Breaking All-Time High Jobs Record for Eighth Time Since Start of Administration, Unemployment Down Across All Demographics 

  

Closes Out Adams Administration’s “Jobs Week,” Highlighting City’s Effort to  Ensure Opportunity Reaches Every Borough, Block, and Neighborhood, and  Working-Class Families Have Access to Good-Paying Jobs   

 

Builds on Administration’s Efforts to Put Money Back Into Pockets of New Yorkers,  Including “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” Proposal That Would  Eliminate and Cut Personal Income Taxes and Help Over 582,000 New Yorkers   

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga today ended “Jobs Week ” by kicking off the tax season and urging all eligible New Yorkers to file their taxes for free through “NYC Free Tax Prep.” NYC Free Tax Prep provides free, professional tax preparation services that help New Yorkers keep their full refund, including valuable tax credits, like the enhanced NYC Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which, thanks to Mayor Adams and his advocacy, was expanded in 2022 for the first time in 20 years, helping New Yorkers claim an additional $280 million in 2023. New Yorkers can call 311 or visit DCWP's NYC Free Tax Prep page to choose the best NYC Free Tax Prep filing option for them.  

  

Today’s announcement comes as the city, last week, celebrated breaking the all-time high jobs record for the eighth time and unemployment going down across all demographic groups since start of the Adams administration. The kickoff closes out “Jobs Week, ” highlighting the city’s efforts to ensure job opportunities reach every borough, block, and neighborhood, building on the administration’s effort to put money back into the pockets of New Yorkers, and advancing Mayor Adams’ 2025 State of the City commitment to make New York City the best, more affordable place to raise a family.  

  

“Thanks to the ‘NYC Free Tax Prep’ program, our administration is ensuring that no dollar gets left behind, and money ends up back in the pockets of working-class New Yorkers,” said Mayor Adams. “Filing your taxes can be complicated and convoluted, and that’s why we are urging New Yorkers to utilize this free service. ‘Jobs Week’ is about more than just getting New Yorkers jobs; it’s also about ensuring as much of the money they earn can stay in their pockets as they build a life of both economic and financial security. Every dollar counts and we are calling on New Yorkers to file their taxes on time, use the city’s free services, and get the tax return they deserve.” 

  

“Every year, ‘NYC Free Tax Prep’ sites across the city offer vital tax preparation services to thousands of New Yorkers, helping them collectively save millions in filing fees and get the fullest refund possible,” said DCWP Commissioner Vera Mayuga. “If you earned $65,000 or less as an individual, or a family that earned less than $93,000, I urge you to file for free through NYC Free Tax prep and get your maximum refund. And if you’re looking for an opportunity to give back to your community this year, I encourage you to become a volunteer tax preparer — it’s a short-term commitment with a long-term impact!” 

  

Residents who earned $93,000 or less and file as a family, or those who earned $65,000 or less and file as an individual or couple without dependents, are eligible to file through NYC Free Tax Prep. In 2024, NYC Free Tax Prep filed more than 101,000 tax returns, saving New Yorkers more than $33 million in tax preparation fees. Additionally, last tax season, more than 140 in-person sites provided free tax preparation services across the five boroughs. Since the start of the Adams administration, NYC Free Tax Prep has helped New Yorkers save nearly $57 million in tax preparation fees by helping filers file approximately 257,000 tax returns for free. 

  

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) began accepting tax returns Monday, January 27 and will accept returns through Tuesday, April 15, 2025.NYC Free Tax Prep Services includes in-person tax prep support, drop off services with a tax preparation professional, virtual tax prep, and assisted self-preparation. All tax prep services and options can be found at DCWP's NYC Free Tax Prep website.   

 

The Adams administration has already saved New Yorkers more than $30 billion by connecting working-class families to city, state, and federal programs, including the historic expansion of the NYC EITC for the first time in nearly two decades, delivering more than $345 million in tax relief to New Yorkers over the 2023 tax season alone.  

  

Today’s announcement follows Mayor Adams’ unveiling of his “Axe the Tax for the Working Class” proposal as part of his Albany agenda. The proposal would bring significant tax relief to working-class families and return over $63 million to New York City families, benefitting more than 582,000 New Yorkers. Axe the Tax would eliminate the New York City Personal Income Tax for filers with dependents living at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, as well as lower city personal income taxes for filers immediately above that threshold too. If passed into law, Axe the Tax for the Working Class could bring relief to working-class families as soon as tax year 2025. 

  

Since taking office, the Adams administration has launched, administered, and advocated for a broad range of benefits that have saved working-class New Yorkers more than $30 billion. Highlights of these savings include:  

  

•    Big Apple Connect: Free high-speed internet and basic TV for public housing residents – $153 million. 

•    Child Care Vouchers: Vouchers for affordable child care – $1.9 billion. 

•  Direct Property Tax Relief: A range of tax abatements for seniors, disabled homeowners, and other New Yorkers – $1 billion. 

•    NYC EITC: Returns tax dollars to qualifying families and individuals – $345 million. 

•   Groceries to Go: Monthly credits to purchase Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligible groceries for delivery or pickup – $8 million. 

•   NYC Financial Empowerment Centers: Free one-on-one professional financial counseling and coaching to help increase savings, reduce debts, and support New Yorkers’ financial goals – $26 million. 

•   Year-Round Free Tax Prep: Services for individuals, families, and self-employed New Yorkers – $220 million. 

•   Medical Debt Relief: Starting the process to eliminate medical debt for 500,000 New Yorkers – $1.8 billion. 

•   Summer Rising: Free summer programming, including free meals, transportation, and medical and social services support for K-8 students – $1.9 billion. 

•   Transportation for Older New Yorkers: Free transportation to help older New Yorkers get to critical medical appointments, social service appointments, and more – $1.5 million.