Small businesses hurting over coronavirus precautions in New York state are pleading with Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) to delay or waive sales tax payments due Friday.
Governor Cuomo, who is still collecting his paycheck, has outright rejected the plea, telling the press Wednesday that the state is “not in a fiscal position to do that.”
Tony Palermo, a small business owner in Rochester, New York, said he had to layoff half of his deli’s staff on Monday. If he could have his sales tax, adding up to thousands of dollars, waived or even delayed one month, he would be able to stay afloat longer.
“If it’s a one time or two time forgiveness it would just keep us all afloat,” Palermo told WHEC.
“We have a nice clean place,” the business owner said. “We’ve been wiping everything down. And we’re hoping that we’ll sell enough sandwiches and pizzas to pay the bills.”
Gyms, bars, restaurants, and others small businesses, including Palermo’s Magnolia’s Deli, have been ordered to shutter or only serve takeout to customers at Cuomo’s directive.
“New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have agreed to close bars, restaurants and other businesses and impose curfews that begin at 8 p.m. daily, a sweeping and so-far unprecedented regional effort to enforce social distancing as new coronavirus cases jump across the nation,” Politico reported Monday.
The Democratic governor said “all gyms, movie theaters and casinos will also close indefinitely starting at 8 p.m. Monday,” the report outlined. “Bars and restaurants will only be available for takeout services. Gatherings of more than 50 people are banned, a directive that follows guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued Sunday evening.”
Palermo isn’t the only one pleading with Cuomo. Dan Palladino, the owner of the Heritage Hill Brewhouse and Palladino Farms in Pompey, made a similar statement on Wednesday, Syracuse.com reported.
“We are getting initial feedback that New York State does not want to defer sales tax payments due in two days for restaurants and bars because they can’t afford to lose the revenue that comes from sales tax,” Palladino posted to Facebook.
The business owner is a board member of the New York Farm Bureau, as well.
“This is going to be devastating for the businesses that you love to survive the next month, all we asked for was a deferral until we can open back up,” he continued. “Please share this reach out to anybody in our state and local government that you know and help put pressure on them to make this deferral. You the people are our government please make your voice heard!”
Please Share & Suppprt!We are getting initial feedback that New York State does not want to defer sales tax payments…
Người đăng: Daniel Palladino vào Thứ Tư, 18 tháng 3, 2020
New York State Restaurant Association president and CEO Melissa Fleischut urged that the “state’s entire restaurant industry is in dire straits.”
“From the North Fork of Long Island to North Tonawanda, restaurants are closed and, undoubtedly, many will never reopen,” Fleischut warned, according to Syracuse.com. “During this uncertain time, these businesses still have obligations that must be met – such as payments to suppliers, rent and taxes – with little to no revenue coming in.”
“We urge the State to push back the due date for sales tax payments to alleviate the financial burden on these businesses. Without this, hundreds of thousands of restaurant jobs will be in further jeopardy,” the associated president added.
“That’s thousands of dollars that a small business can use during this time when they’re closing and laying employees off,” Palladino underscored.
“I’d love to say to everybody in the state, I know you’re having a tough time, nobody pay any tax. I would love to do that,” Cuomo told the press Wednesday about a sales tax delay, WHEC reported. “I’ve cut taxes, I’ve cut taxes every year. But we’re not in a fiscal position to do that.”