Council Member David Yassky has called a City Council public hearing for April 28th on exempting freelancers from the Unincorporated Business Tax (UBT). Since the event is open to the public, the membership and advocacy organization Freelancers Union is inviting all freelancers and independent workers to show up and send a clear message to City and State leaders.
Freelancers are encouraged to show up at 250 Broadway (across from City Hall), the 14th floor Hearing Room, at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, where volunteers and Freelancers Union staff will greet them. You can let the Freelancers Union know you’re planning to be there by signing up here.
The UBT taxes the same individual's earnings as both business and personal income. It drains millions of dollars a year from the pockets of self-employed workers, who comprise one of the largest segments of job growth in the city. The UBT was originally designed to catch corporate tax dodgers, not the self-employed. But despite the law’s good intentions, big businesses still escape through loopholes while thousands of NYC freelancers are unfairly penalized.
