New bill, introduced by the 'Long Island Three,' would repeal SALT cap in New York

A congressman from Seaford and two of his Long Island colleagues are pressing for legislation to eliminate the cap on the deduction for state and local taxes on income tax forms, which would allow homeowners to deduct all of their state and property taxes.

U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino, Anthony D’Esposito and Nick LaLota are introducing a bill that would repeal the $10,000 cap, bringing some relief to their constituents. Though Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives, they said they believe that the SALT Deductibility Act of 2023 would receive bipartisan support.

Garbarino, whose district is mostly in Suffolk County but covers a portion of Seaford, is a co-chair of the House’s SALT Caucus, a committee created to provide SALT relief to constituents. The caucus comprises 32 representatives, with a delegate from Washington, D.C.’s at-large district as its 33rd member. Including the District of Columbia delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, the caucus counts 23 Democrats and 10 Republicans, two of whom are D’Esposito and LaLota.

“This topic is especially timely with Tax Day, marking another year that Long Islanders are getting the short end of the stick,” Garbarino said during an April 14 news conference held in front of the home of a Franklin Square resident. “This legislation, named the SALT Deductibility Act of 2023, will amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the limitation on state and local tax deductions.

“Long Islanders pay some of the highest property taxes in the country,” Garbarino added. “And for the hard working families in my district and all over Long Island, the $10,000 cap means they are only able to deduct a portion of their real property taxes and income taxes.”

According to Garbarino, the current SALT cap adds to the idea of New York being a “donor state.” He said that the constituents residing within the districts of the three congressmen pay property taxes far exceeding the $10,000 cap.

LaLota’s district is entirely in Suffolk County, but he stood by his colleagues, as well as Franklin Square resident Ellen Andrasick — during the conference outside of her house — to support the bill. LaLota claimed that New York leads the nation in two categories — out-of-state migration and the highest tax burden at 12.47 percent.

Even though LaLota’s out-of-state migration claim is in dispute since numerous sources put California ahead of New York in that category, LaLota said he hopes the bill would bring relief to New York on both fronts.

Rep. George Santos, who has been under fire for his alleged fabrications and has been publicly denounced by Garbarino, D’Esposito and LaLota for them, has introduced his own bill, the SALT Relief Act, which can be viewed at tinyurl.com/SantosSALT.

“Overtaxed New Yorkers deserve better policymaking decisions from their federal leaders,” D’Esposito, who represents the Fourth Congressional District, said. “Congress can enact positive change by passing the SALT Deductibility Act. Those of us behind this podium will fight hard to ensure the SALT cap is repealed and New York neighbors are once again treated fairly by the federal government.”

Andrasick, who moved to Franklin Square in 1968, said she could recall a time when property taxes only amounted to $600, as opposed to the $13,000 she spends today.

“The little salaries that we’re making are being taxed,” Andrasick said. “The government is getting better, but we’re getting poorer. We’ve got to get that tax rate back (down) so that people can stay here on Long Island.”

According to Garbarino, the bill was introduced last week, and it could take some time before it is enacted. But the congressman said he hopes it goes through before the current SALT cap expires in 2025.