Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A proposal reported to be under consideration in New York could add 50 cents to every Uber, Lyft or other rideshare ride in the state and one lawmaker, as well as an Uber driver both tell WBEN it's just another tax on New Yorkers.
John Glose is an Uber driver and tells us New Yorkers are already taxed on ridesharing. "There's already an extra 3% fee and another 4% state tax on rideshare, now they want to add another fee of 50 cents," says Glose. He says this will be another burden on his clients, who are working poor trying to get to jobs in the suburbs. "Plus it decreases our income, because we get less riders if this goes through," adds Glose, who notes tips will likely not be as much or as often because riders won't be able to afford it.
Glose says he hasn't heard exactly where proceeds of this new fee would go, but he's heard supposedly it would go toward mass transit in New York City.
Assemblyman Mike Norris says he has not seen that proposal in the state's proposed spending plan, but calls this another unnecessary tax on New Yorkers. "People use Uber and Lyft to travel around, when they certainly go out for dinner at night to be safe, and some of them use it for transportation to work, and even to school. So again, another tax on the people that sit in New York, is unacceptable," contends Norris. He notes proceeds could reach millions of dollars if passed.
Norris says it's similar to another fee proposed. "Some of the taxes that the majority have proposed in the one house, for example, included a 4% streaming fee on Hulu, and other types of streaming services," notes Norris. He says New Yorkers are leaving, and it's not for the weather. "They're tired of being nickeled and dimed to death, whether it be in a proposed 4% streaming tax on our services, or if this 50 cent increase for Uber and Lyft, does that get slipped into the final budget? It just should be enough is enough? We don't need any more taxes and fees in the state of New York," says Norris.
The state budget was due April 1 and any agreement is not expected until at least next week.
