Crain’s New York Business

March 11, 2025

Lawmakers propose taxes on package delivery, ride shares to fund MTA

by Caroline Spivack

State lawmakers are proposing a trio of potential new taxes — including a fee for online package delivery and a surcharge to Uber and Lyft rides — to help fund the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Assembly members suggested a trio of new levies that would help pay for the MTA’s proposed $65.4 billion capital plan to maintain and modernize the system between now and 2029. The proposals are sparse on specifics, but float raising the current 0.60% payroll mobility tax on employers within the five boroughs, Long Island and the Hudson Valley, and potential new fees on New Yorkers for ordering package deliveries and for using ride apps.

Some business leaders panned a proposed payroll tax increase as a burden on the region’s employers, and encouraged lawmakers to explore other ideas.

“The MTA payroll tax was increased just two years ago and congestion pricing began in January — it is baffling that Albany is already talking about another tax hike,” said Ashley Ranslow, the New York director of the National Federation of Independent Business. Raising the tax, Ranslow argued, would lead to “more vacant storefronts and a higher cost of living for all New Yorkers.”

>>>>> Go to Crain’s New York Business to read the full article.