Overview
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Finance extended the exemption-application deadline to Sept. 18 after public backlash over the tax notices.
- DOF mailed about 17,000 homeowners letters saying their properties "may be subject to" the surcharge and separately published a supplemental roll listing roughly 900,000 properties that amplified confusion and privacy concerns.
- As of early August the city reported about 2,000 completed exemption applications and roughly 4,800 started but not submitted, and it has added temporary staff and expanded outreach to help owners navigate the portal.
- The surcharge targets high-value non-primary residences and is projected by the administration to raise about $500 million a year, but comptroller analyses, appeals, exemptions for trusts and LLCs, and verification problems could cut collections significantly.
- Owners can appeal market-value and residency findings to the city Tax Commission, the Department of Finance will finish reviews on a rolling basis, and the city plans to publish a final list of liable properties on Dec. 31, 2026.