The New York State Assembly passed a bill Wednesday that would allow Congress to get President Donald Trump’s state tax returns.

The Assembly voted 84-53 to require New York’s tax commissioner to release any state tax return requested by the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee for any “specified and legitimate legislative purpose.”

“Transparency is essential, especially when it comes to the conflicts or potential conflicts of those who craft public policy,” Assemblyman David Buchwald (D), the bill’s sponsor, said during the floor vote, according to Bloomberg.

The Assembly also voted Wednesday 85-49 on an amendment to the bill directing the New York Tax Department to give Congress state tax returns specifically for elected officials. The original bill would have let Congress request any New York resident’s state tax returns.

The passage means Congress is one step closer to finally viewing some of Trump’s tax returns. His state returns are expected to contain information similar to the federal returns he’s refused to release.

The New York State Senate passed a bill earlier this month with the hope of helping Congress obtain some of the president’s tax returns.

The Treasury Department has broken federal law in continuously refusing House Democrats’ request for six years of Trump’s personal and business federal tax returns.

“Donald Trump has broken forty years of political tradition by not releasing his tax returns. Now, his administration is precipitating a constitutional showdown by shielding the President from Congressional oversight over those returns,” state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D), who sponsored the Senate bill, said in a May 8 statement. “Our system of checks and balances is failing. New York has a special role and responsibility to step into the breach.”

The legislation now heads to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s desk. Cuomo, a Democrat and frequent Trump critic, said in April that he planned to support the state legislature’s efforts to enable the release of the president’s state tax returns. </s> ALBANY, N.Y. — President Donald Trump’s New York state tax returns could be given to Congress under a new law in his home state.

The measure was signed into law Monday by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

It directs state tax officials to share state returns of certain elected and appointed officials upon request from the chairpersons of one of three top congressional committees.

The new law could give Congress a way around the president’s refusal to release his returns, though it’s expected to face legal challenges.

Cuomo says the change ensures no one is above the law and noted the law was carefully tailored to protect the tax privacy of everyday New Yorkers.

It’s unclear when or even whether state tax officials can expect a request for the tax returns. </s> New York's state legislature passed a bill on Wednesday permitting tax officials to turn over President Trump's state returns to any one of three congressional committees, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: Trump has refused to comply with a congressional subpoena for his federal tax returns, which are likely to contain similar information to his state returns. If Gov. Andrew Cuomo signs the bill as expected, the move could ignite a heated battle between New York state and Trump's legal team. </s> Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed a bill that would allow certain members of Congress to have access to President Donald Trump's New York state tax returns.

The bill, which Cuomo had been expected to sign, requires state officials to release tax returns that have been requested by "congressional tax-related committees" that have cited “specified and legitimate legislative purpose" in seeking them.

"By amending the law enforcement exception in New York State tax code to include Congressional tax-related committees, this bill gives Congress the ability to fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities, strengthen our democratic system and ensure that no one is above the law," Cuomo said in a statement.

The bill is seen as a clear shot at the president, who has refused to release his tax returns. </s> Legislation that would give the United States Congress access to President Donald Trump's New York state tax returns was signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday, July 8.

"This bill gives Congress the ability to fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities, strengthen our democratic system and ensure that no one is above the law," Cuomo said. "Tax secrecy is paramount — the exception being for bona fide investigative and law enforcement purposes."

The bill requires New York officials to release tax returns of public officials that have been requested by congressional tax-related committees that have cited specified and legitimate legislative purpose in seeking them.

If utilized, the new law is expected to face legal challenges. Jay Sekulow, one of Trump's attorneys, told several media outlets that the Trump Administration would push back, calling it "more presidential harassment."

The tax bill, sponsored by Assemblyman David Buchwald of Westchester, makes it easier for New York to turn over the state tax returns of certain public office-holders, along with entities those people control or have a large stake in, if requested by the leaders of the three congressional tax-writing committees.

"It's a great day for transparency in government, and I thank my colleagues in the State Assembly and Senate and the governor for backing this law that supports our fellow lawmakers in Washington in their important oversight role," said Buchwald, whose 93rd district represents Bedford, Harrison, Lewisboro, Mount Kisco, New Castle, North Castle, North Salem, Pound Ridge and White Plains.

The House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee or the Joint Committee on Taxation could file a request with New York state if efforts to gain access to federal tax filings through the Treasury Department fail.

Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts. </s> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill on Monday that would allow New York’s tax authority to hand over state tax returns to the U.S. Congress.

The bill would allow the state’s Department of Taxation and Finance commissioner to release state tax returns to Congress’ Ways & Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation.

“Tax secrecy is paramount — the exception being for bonafide investigative and law enforcement purposes,” Cuomo said in a statement. “By amending the law enforcement exception in New York State tax code to include Congressional tax-related committees, this bill gives Congress the ability to fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities, strengthen our democratic system and ensure that no one is above the law.”

After Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin refused to comply with the House Ways and Means Committee’s request for President Donald Trump’s tax returns, New York’s state legislature passed the bill in an effort to mitigate Mnuchin’s stonewalling.

The House Ways and Means Committee sued Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service chief Chuck Rettig last week for the President’s tax returns.

However, committee chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) is reportedly reluctant to ask the state for Trump’s tax returns because he fears jeopardizing a potential court case in the battle for Trump’s federal tax returns. </s> New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed a bill Monday to allow Congress to access President Donald Trump’s state tax returns.

The bill requires the state to release the president’s state tax returns—along with the returns for certain other federal officeholders—for any legitimate purpose upon request from the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, or the Joint Committee on Taxation.

As Mother Jones reporter Russ Choma wrote when the New York state legislature approved the bill in May:

Just days after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin refused—in apparent violation of federal law—to give Trump’s tax filings to a congressional committee, lawmakers in Trump’s home state stepped in with a possible solution. On Wednesday, the New York state Senate passed a bill that would allow state officials to provide Congress with the state tax returns of seven different types of state and federal elected officials—including the president. Federal tax law already allows congressional tax committees to obtain a copy of any American’s tax returns—and such a request has been made by the Democratically controlled House Ways and Means Committee. But on Monday, Mnuchin said he would not permit the Internal Revenue Service to comply. The committee requested the documents as part of what members said was an investigation into how the IRS audits presidents, but the administration has argued that the move was an unfair, politically motivated attempt to embarrass the president.

The bill is effective immediately, according to the New York Times, but it is unclear whether Congress will take advantage of the new law. </s> [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.]

ALBANY — New York State lawmakers on Wednesday gave their final approval to a bill that would clear a path for Congress to obtain President Trump’s state tax returns, injecting another element into a tortuous battle over the president’s refusal to release his taxes.

The bill, which is expected to be signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a third-term Democrat and regular critic of Mr. Trump’s policies and behavior, will authorize state tax officials to release the president’s state returns to any one of three congressional committees.

The returns — filed in New York, the president’s home state and business headquarters — would likely contain much of the same information as the contested federal returns, though it remained unclear whether those congressional committees would use such new power in their investigations.

The Legislature’s actions put the state in a bit of uncharted legal territory; Mr. Trump has said that he is ready to take the fight over his federal tax returns to the Supreme Court, and it seems likely that he would seek to contest New York’s maneuver. </s> Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday signed a bill that would allow certain members of Congress to access to President Donald Trump's New York state tax returns.

The bill, which Cuomo had been expected to OK, requires New York officials to release tax returns of public officials that have been requested by "congressional tax-related committees" that have cited "specified and legitimate legislative purpose" in seeking them.

"(T)his bill gives Congress the ability to fulfill its Constitutional responsibilities, strengthen our democratic system and ensure that no one is above the law," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement.

"Tax secrecy is paramount - the exception being for bonafide investigative and law enforcement purposes," Cuomo said.

The tax bill, which was passed weeks ago by the Democratically controlled state Legislature, makes it easier for New York to turn over the state tax returns of certain public office-holders, along with entities those people control or have a large stake in, that are requested by the leaders of the three congressional tax-writing committees.

The laws in place prior to Cuomo's signing of the bill generally prohibit such a release, and those congressional panels — the House Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation — could file a request with the state only after efforts to gain access to federal tax filings through the Treasury Department fail.

The bill is seen as a clear shot at the president, who has refused to release his tax returns. But it's been met with resistance from the one Democrat who could actually utilize it.

House Ways and Means chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said he won't request the state returns because he feels doing so would harm his efforts at obtaining Trump's federal returns. Last week, Neal sued the IRS and the Treasury Department for those federal returns.

Meanwhile, Cuomo could act soon on another bill that is aimed at Trump

That legislation would allow state prosecutors to pursue charges against certain people even if they had received a presidential pardon. Trump has spoken about the possibility of pardoning those accused or convicted of crimes stemming from former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
The New York State Legislature passes a bill that will authorize state tax officials to release U.S. President Donald Trump's state returns to Congress.