Comedians Criticize New York City's Pied-à-Terre Tax and Publicly Released Property List

Comedians Dana Carvey and David Spade recently critiqued New York City Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani's proposed pied-à-terre tax, particularly after the city made a searchable database of property owners publicly available. Their discussion took place during Carvey's "Fly on the Wall" podcast.

"Mamdani's aiming at billionaires in New York," Carvey noted on the podcast. "If you possess a secondary residence in New York, he intends for you to incur higher taxes."

Spade commented on the city's decision to publish the list. "It seems like a misstep to put online everyone who owns a second home along with their addresses," Spade stated. "You can't advocate for street protests and then release that information. I'd be quite concerned if I were one of those individuals."

Carvey concurred, adding, "It felt somewhat unusual, yes."

Their conversation continued after Carvey performed a satirical impression of the Assemblymember, humorously suggesting a "tax bomb."

"He really missed the mark with this, but it included many notable personalities. Their home addresses were listed, and I thought, 'ohhh,'" Spade elaborated, with Carvey agreeing the situation was "perilous."

"I'm not sure about that decision. People have families, kids. I'm just not comfortable with it," Spade further remarked.

"Just impose the tax," Carvey offered as a simpler solution.

Understanding the Pied-à-Terre Tax

The pied-à-terre tax, championed by Assemblymember Mamdani and approved by the New York State Legislature in May, introduces an annual levy on specific high-value properties in New York City. This surcharge applies to homes valued above $5 million that are not the owner's primary residence.

Controversy Over Public Property Data

Months following the tax's passage, on July 24, New York City released a "supplemental market value roll" containing details for over 900,000 properties. Initially, the public list did not clearly distinguish that the vast majority of these properties would not be subject to the new pied-à-terre tax.

Since the initial release, the Department of Finance (DOF) has clarified the situation, indicating that approximately 17,000 homeowners have received surcharge notices for properties potentially subject to the tax. Assemblymember Mamdani has informed citizens that they have until September 18 to apply for an exemption if they believe their properties do not meet the tax's criteria.

Business Leader Expresses Concerns

Steven Fulop, CEO of the Partnership for New York City, previously voiced strong disapproval regarding the publication of the property roll. He acknowledged that while the information was technically public, its aggregation and presentation seemed designed to target specific citizens.

"I'm not certain if it's an implicit invitation to physical harm… I would argue that the manner in which it was presented was intended to shame successful individuals, which represents a fundamental issue. I also believe that highlighting that most of these residences are vacant for a significant portion of the year and then providing their addresses is counterproductive from a safety standpoint," Fulop stated recently.

Fulop, who shares the same political affiliation as Assemblymember Mamdani, also added, "We initially approached this with a constructive outlook, seeking areas for collaboration. However, it's becoming increasingly challenging because [Mamdani] appears more focused on symbolic gestures rather than implementing substantive policies that engage with the business community. We are still making an effort, but it has proven difficult."