Taxation and Finance, Department of

Agency Web Site: http://www.tax.ny.gov/

Mission

The Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) collects tax revenue and provides associated services in support of certain New York State government operations. In fulfilling its responsibilities, the Department collects and accounts for $58 billion in State taxes and about $37 billion in local taxes; administers 37 State and nine local taxes, including New York City and City of Yonkers income taxes, as well as the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax; and processes approximately 33 million returns, registrations, and associated documents. The Department also manages the State Treasury, which provides investment and cash management services to various State agencies and public benefit corporations, and acts on the Tax Commissioner’s behalf as joint custodian of the State’s General Checking Account. On June 6, 2010, the Department statutorily merged with the former Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) in order to realize significant savings and efficiencies and enhance the State’s oversight of local property tax administration by tapping the Department’s vast information technology infrastructure and personnel assets.

Budget Highlights

The Executive Budget recommends $468.1 million All Funds ($331.5 million General Fund; $136.6 million Other Funds) for the Department of Taxation and Finance. This is an increase of $14.7 million (3.3 percent) All Funds (increases of $19.9 million in General Fund and decrease of $5.1 million in Other Funds) from the 2011-12 levels. The increase reflects higher personal service costs such as performance advances and longevity payments as well as additional revenue generating initiatives. The primary driver for increases in non-personal services is an increase in the centralized operations support program to reflect the full value of essential revenue generating contracts. Part of the increase is offset by a $5.8 million decrease in banking services.

The Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 4,800 FTEs for the Department. This is a decrease of 97 FTEs from the 2011-12 budget. The decrease primarily reflects gains in efficiency.

Major budget actions include:

• Effectuating the merger of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) Call Center into Customer Contact Call Center operations to drive State savings while increasing effectiveness.
• Expanding and enhancing Business Analytics capabilities to drive efficiencies, increase revenue collections, and mitigate fraud.
• Assuming debt collections for the Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC) to drive efficiencies by taking advantage of one of Tax's core competencies.
• Collaboration with the Governor's SAGE Commission to "restack", or consolidate, its downstate district offices in order to save scarce resources, as well as drive programmatic, administrative, and managerial efficiencies. Under the current plan, the number of Tax downstate district offices will be reduced by one-half, or from 8 to 4.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 1/17/2012

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