Budget & Taxes (Income Tax)

This bill provides a tax credit for volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to cover the cost of fishing and hunting licenses. Eligible residents must have served as active volunteers for 12 consecutive months and paid fees for licenses, tags, or permits under environmental conservation law. The credit reduces their state income tax, with any excess carried forward to future tax years. It applies to taxable years beginning January 1, 2026, and directly affects volunteer emergency responders who purchase these licenses.

Allows an individual taxpayer to claim a credit against their income tax for excess premium paid during the applicable tax year for flood insurance providing coverage on the taxpayer's primary residence; authorizes the commissioner of taxation and finance to promulgate any necessary rules and regulations.

This bill increases the state income tax credit available to active volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers. Starting January 1, 2027, the credit for eligible resident taxpayers will increase from $200 to $1,200 per year. To qualify, individuals must have served actively for the entire taxable year. For two qualifying spouses filing a joint return, the credit amount will be $2,400, and any excess credit over the tax owed will be refunded.

Provides a resident taxpayer an additional personal income tax exemption for each dependent who is 65 years of age or older and who is residing with the taxpayer; requires the office for the aging to biennially report to the governor and legislature concerning the effects of such additional tax exemption on programs offered under the auspices or with the support, direct or indirect, of the office for the aging.

Establishes a five hundred dollar credit against income tax for nurses employed on a full-time basis for not less than six months and nurses teaching at institutions of higher education on and after January 1, 2026.

This bill would allow taxpayers to deduct interest paid on qualified student loans from their federal taxable income. It applies to individuals who pay interest on education loans used for higher education, directly affecting borrowers with such loans. The deduction would be calculated as specified in existing IRS rules (26 USC § 221) and would apply to tax years beginning January 1, 2026. This policy change reduces taxable income for eligible borrowers without altering current tax filing requirements.

Enacts into law major components of legislation which are necessary to implement the state fiscal plan for the 2025-2026 state fiscal year; relates to establishing an inflation refund credit (Part A); provides for a middle-class tax cut; extends the temporary personal income tax high income surcharge (Part B); enhances the empire state child credit for three years (Part C); relates to the eligibility for the New York state low income housing tax credit program; increases the aggregate amount of the allocable tax credit (Part D); relates to tax credits for the rehabilitation of historic properties (Part E); establishes a 90-day waiting period for the purchase of residential real property by certain purchasers (Subpart A); provides for depreciation and interest deduction adjustments for properties owned by institutional investors in residential properties (Subpart B); requires the secretary of state to provide public notice of real property solicitation cease and desist zones (Subpart C)(Part F); relates to the excelsior jobs program; establishes the semiconductor research and development program; establishes tax credits for participation in such program; establishes the semiconductor manufacturing workforce training incentive program; establishes tax credits for participation in such program; repeals the employee training incentive program (Subpart A); amends provisions relating to application of the empire state jobs retention program on or after June 1, 2025 (Subpart B) (Part H); relates to film production and post-production credits; creates the Empire state independent film production credit (Part I); relates to eligibility under the newspaper and broadcast media jobs program (Part J); relates to calculation and application of the empire state digital gaming media production credit; permits carryover of unused credits (Part K); extends portions of the New York city musical and theatrical production tax credit (Part L); clarifies that the accessing of notices by a taxpayer shall not give the taxpayer the right to a hearing in the division of tax appeals (Part M); relates to tax warrants and warrant-related records (Part N); provides that where property is owned solely by a person or persons who received the STAR exemption for three consecutive years without having filed returns for the applicable income tax years, but who demonstrated their eligibility for the exemption to the commissioner of taxation and finance's satisfaction by filing statements, such person or persons shall be presumed to satisfy the applicable income-eligibility requirements each year thereafter and shall not be required to continue to file such statements in the absence of a specific request therefor from such commissioner (Part O); increases the estimated tax threshold under article nine-a of the tax law to five thousand dollars beginning January 1, 2026 (Part R); establishes a tax credit for organ donation (Part S); relates to extending the estate tax three-year gift addback rule (Part T); expands the credit for employment of persons with disabilities to the first five thousand dollars of first-year wages (Part U); provides for reporting of federal partnership adjustments for state personal income tax (Subpart A); provides for reporting of federal partnership adjustments for city personal income tax (Subpart B)(Part V); establishes a credit against the tax on personal income of certain residents of a city having a population of one million or more inhabitants beginning in the 2025 tax year (Part W); extends the clean heating fuel tax credit for three years (Part Y); extends the alternative fuels and electric vehicle recharging property credit for three years (Part Z); extends the sales tax exemption for vending machine transactions (Part AA); extends the workers with disabilities tax credit (Part BB); extends the hire a vet tax credit until 2029 (Part CC); extends the musical and theatrical production credit (Part DD); relates to extending the financial institution data match system for state tax collection purposes (Part EE); simplifies the parimutuel tax rate system; repeals provisions relating thereto (Subpart A); relates to licenses for simulcast facilities, sums relating to track simulcast, simulcast of out-of-state thoroughbred races, simulcasting of races run by out-of-state harness tracks and distributions of wagers; extends certain provisions relating to simulcasting, and the imposition of certain taxes (Subpart B); provides for amounts of market origin credits and fees, and the state's use of funds collected thereunder (Subpart C)(Part FF); sets rates for tax on certain gaming revenues (Part GG); relates to the utilization of funds in the Capital off-track betting corporation's capital acquisition fund for certain purposes (Part HH); provides for research to enhance the health and safety of thoroughbred race horses (Part II); extends the farm workforce retention credit (Part JJ); relates to the farm employer overtime credit (Part KK); provides technical corrections relating to amended returns under Article 28 (Part LL); relates to vendor fees paid to certain vendor tracks; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof (Part MM); relates to the terms of members of the franchised corporation appointed by the New York racing association, and licensing requirements of such members (Part NN); provides that the amount of mobile sports tax revenue used for problem gambling education and treatment shall be equal to six million dollars for each fiscal year through fiscal year 2026 and twelve million dollars for each fiscal year thereafter, provided that this amount may only be expended pursuant to a plan approved by the director of the budget (Part OO); extends the duration of certain brownfield redevelopment and remediation tax credits with respect to a site located within the Renaissance Commerce Park situate within the city of Lackawanna, Erie county (Part PP); relates to the commissioner's authority to deny certain relief from sales tax liability provided to certain limited partners and members of limited liability companies (Part QQ); simplifies the real property tax credit (Part RR); authorizes an occupancy tax in the city of Auburn not to exceed 5%; provides for the expiration and repeal of such provisions on December 31, 2027 (Part SS); authorizes a hotel and motel tax in the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie (Part TT); relates to geothermal energy systems tax credits; allows excess amounts to be received as refunds for certain taxpayers (Part UU); relates to the metropolitan commuter transportation mobility tax and the rates of tax and the distribution of revenue therefrom (Part VV); divides revenues from the sales and compensating use taxes for the metropolitan commuter transportation district; directs that 85% of the certified revenues be deposited in the dedicated mass transportation fund with 85% of such amount being allocated to the New York city transit authority and its subsidiaries and 15% of such amount shall be allocated to the Long Island Rail Road Company and Metro North commuter railroad company (Part WW); relates to the aggregate principal amount of bonds, notes or other obligations for the metropolitan transit authority, the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority and the New York city transit authority (Part XX).

Relates to authorizing a personal income tax deduction for tolls, fees and other related commuting expenses paid by a taxpayer in the course of commuting to and from their place of employment.

Provides a personal income tax credit in the amount of any fishing and/or hunting fees paid by members of the United States armed forces in active service.

Establishes a clinical preceptorship personal income tax credit for certain health care professionals who provide preceptor instruction to students studying to be a health care professional.