[Adopted 11-25-2013 by L.L. No. 3-2013]
When used in this article, the following terms shall mean and
include:
The Chief of Police of the City of Peekskill or his/her successor
in office.
The Comptroller of the City of Peekskill or such other person
as may be designated by the Common Council to administer and collect
the tax provided for herein.
The date on which the Secretary of State files this article
herein.
Any occupant of any room or rooms in a hotel whose rent is
paid from public assistance from the County of Westchester shall be
deemed an "exempt occupant" with respect to the period of such occupancy,
regardless of the length thereof.
A building or portion thereof, which is regularly used and
kept open as such for the lodging of guests. For the purposes of this
article, the term "hotel" includes apartment hotels, motels, boardinghouses,
bed-and-breakfasts, tourist homes, motel courts, clubs or similar
facilities with at least four rentable rooms for lodging, whether
or not meals are served to guests or residents thereof.
The use or possession or the right to the use or possession
of any room in a hotel.
A person who, for a consideration, uses, possesses or has
the right to use or possess any room in a hotel under any lease, concession,
permit, right of access, license to use or other agreement or otherwise.
Any person operating a hotel in the City of Peekskill, including,
but not limited to, an owner or proprietor of such premises, lessee,
sublessee, mortgagee in possession, licensee or any other person otherwise
operating such hotel.
Any occupant of any room or rooms in a hotel at least 90
consecutive days shall be considered a "permanent resident" with regard
to the period of such occupancy.
An individual, partnership, society, association, joint-stock
company, corporation, estate, receiver, trustee, assignee, referee
and any other person acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity,
whether appointed by a court or otherwise, and any combination of
the foregoing.
The consideration received for occupancy valued in money,
whether received in money or otherwise, for the occupancy of a room
in a hotel for any period of time.
Any return filed or required to be filed as herein provided.
Any room or rooms or suite of rooms with sleeping accommodations,
whether or not such accommodations are used, of any kind in any part
or portion of a hotel which is available for or let out for any purpose.
On and after the first day of January 2014, there is hereby
imposed and there shall be paid a tax of 3% upon the rent for every
occupancy of a room or rooms in a hotel in this City, except that
the tax shall not be imposed upon a permanent resident or an exempt
occupant.
The tax imposed by this article shall be paid upon any occupancy
on and after the first day of January 2014, although such occupancy
is pursuant to a prior contract, lease or other arrangement. Where
rent is paid on a weekly, monthly or other term basis, the rent shall
be subject to the tax imposed by this article to the extent that it
covers any period on and after the first day of January 2014.
Except as otherwise provided in this section, any use or occupancy
by any of the following shall not be subject to the tax imposed by
this article:
A.
The State of New York, or any of its agencies or instrumentalities,
public corporations (including a public corporation created pursuant
to agreement or compact with another state or Canada), improvement
districts or political subdivisions of the state;
B.
The United States of America, or any of its agencies and instrumentalities,
insofar as it is immune from taxation;
C.
Any corporation, association, trust or community chest, fund or foundation,
organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable or education
purposes or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals,
and no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of
any private shareholder or individual and no substantial part of the
activities of which is carrying on propaganda or otherwise attempting
to influence legislation; provided, however, that nothing in this
subsection shall include an organization operated for the primary
purpose of carrying on a trade or business for profit, whether or
not all of its profits are payable to one or more organizations described
in this subsection. Where any organization described in this subsection
carries on its activities in furtherance of the purposes for which
it was organized in premises in which, as part of said activities,
it operates a hotel, occupancy of rooms in the premises and rents
therefrom received by such corporation or association shall not be
subject to tax hereunder;
D.
A hotel, as defined in this article, having fewer than four rentable
rooms.
The tax imposed by this article shall apply only within the
territorial limits of the City of Peekskill.
A.
Within 10 days after the effective date of this article, or, in the
case of operators commencing business after such effective date, within
three days after such commencement or opening, every operator shall
file with the City Comptroller a certificate of registration in a
form prescribed by the City Comptroller.
B.
The City Comptroller shall, within five days after such registration,
issue without charge to each operator a certificate of authority empowering
such operator to collect the tax from the occupant and a duplicate
thereof for each additional hotel of such operator. Each certificate
or duplicate shall state the hotel to which it is applicable. Such
certificate of authority shall be prominently displayed by the operator
in such manner that it may be seen and come to the notice of all occupants
and persons seeking occupancy. Such certificate shall be nonassignable
and nontransferable and shall be surrendered immediately to the City
Comptroller upon the cessation of business at the hotel named or upon
its sale or transfer.
A.
The tax imposed by this article shall be administered and collected
by the City Comptroller or such other City employee as he/she may
designate by such means and in such manner as are other taxes which
are now collected and administered or as otherwise are provided by
this article.
B.
The tax to be collected shall be stated and charged separately from
the rent and shown separately on any record thereof, at the time when
the occupancy is arranged or contracted for and charged for, and upon
every evidence of occupancy or any bill or statement of charges made
for said occupancy issued or delivered by the operator, and the tax
shall be paid by the occupant to the operator as trustee for and on
account of the City, and the operator shall be liable for the collection
thereof and for the tax. The operator and any officer of any corporate
operator shall be personally liable for the tax collected or required
to be collected under this article, and the operator shall have the
same right in respect to collecting the tax from the occupant, or
in respect to nonpayment of the tax by the occupant, as if the tax
were part of the rent for the occupancy payable at the time such tax
shall become due and owing, including all rights of eviction, dispossession,
repossession and enforcement of any innkeeper's lien that he/she
may have in the event of nonpayment of rent by the occupant; provided,
however, that the City Comptroller or employees or agents duly designated
by him/her shall be joined as a party in any action or proceeding
brought by the operator to collect or enforce collection of the tax.
C.
The City Comptroller may, wherever he/she deems it necessary for
the proper enforcement of this article, provide by regulation that
the occupant shall file returns and pay directly to the City Comptroller
the tax imposed at such times as returns are required to be filed
and payment over made by the operator.
D.
The tax imposed by this article shall be paid upon any occupancy on and after January 1, 2014, although such occupancy is had pursuant to a contract, lease or other arrangement made prior to such date. Where rent is paid or charged or billed or falls due on either a weekly, monthly or other term basis, the rent so paid, charged, billed or falling due shall be subject to the tax herein imposed to the extent that it covers any portion of the period on and after January 1, 2014. Where any tax has been paid hereunder upon any rent which has been ascertained to be worthless, the City Comptroller may, by regulation, provide for credit and/or refund of the amount of such tax upon application therefor as provided in § 521-83 of this article.
E.
For the purpose of the proper administration of this article and to prevent evasion of the tax hereby imposed, it shall be presumed that all rents are subject to tax until the contrary is established, and the burden of proving that a rent for occupancy is not taxable hereunder shall be upon the operator or occupant. Where an occupant claims exemption from the tax under the provisions of Subsection C of § 521-74 of this article, the rent shall be deemed taxable hereunder unless the operator shall receive from the occupant claiming such exemption a copy of a New York State sales tax exemption certificate.
Every operator shall keep records of every occupancy and of
all rent paid, charged or due thereon and of the tax payable thereon,
in such form as the City Comptroller may by regulation require. Such
records shall be available for inspection and examination at any time
upon demand by the City Comptroller or his/her duly authorized agent
or employee and shall be preserved for a period of three years, except
that the City Comptroller may consent to their destruction within
that period or may require that they be kept longer.
A.
Every operator shall file with the City Comptroller a return of occupancy
and of rents and of the taxes payable thereon for the three-month
periods ending the last day of March, June, September, and December
on and after January 1, 2014. Such returns shall be filed within 20
days from the expiration of the period covered thereby. The City Comptroller
may permit or require returns to be made by other periods and upon
such dates as he/she may specify. If the City Comptroller deems it
necessary in order to ensure the payment of the tax imposed by this
article, he/she may require returns to be made for shorter periods
than those prescribed pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this
section and upon such dates as he/she may specify.
B.
The forms of return shall be prescribed by the City Comptroller and
shall contain such information as he/she may deem necessary for the
proper administration of this article. The City Comptroller may require
amended returns to be filed within 20 days after notice and to contain
the information specified in the notice.
C.
If a return required by this article is not filed, or if a return
is incorrectly filed or is insufficient on its face, the City Comptroller
shall take such steps as he/she deems necessary to enforce the filing
of such return or of a corrected return.
At the time of filing a return of occupancy and of rents, each
operator shall pay to the City Comptroller the taxes imposed by this
article upon the rents required to be included in such return, as
well as all other moneys collected by the operator acting or purporting
to act under the provisions of this article; even though it be judicially
determined that the tax collected is invalidly required to be filed,
it shall be due from the operator and payable to the City Comptroller
on the date prescribed herein for the filing of the return for such
period, without regard to whether a return is filed or whether the
return which is filed correctly shows the amount of rents and taxes
due thereon. Where the City Comptroller in his/her discretion deems
it necessary to protect revenues to be obtained under this article,
he/she may require any operator required to collect the tax imposed
by this article to file with him/her a bond, issued by a surety company
authorized to transact business in this state and approved by the
Superintendent of Insurance of this state as to solvency and responsibility,
in such amount as the City Comptroller may find to secure the payment
of any tax and/or penalties and interest due or which may become due
from such operator. In the event that the City Comptroller determines
that an operator is to file such bonds, he/she shall give notice to
such operator to that effect, specifying the amount of the bond required.
The operator shall file such bond within five days after the giving
of such notice unless, within such five days, the operator shall request,
in writing, a hearing before the City Comptroller at which the necessity,
propriety and amount of the bond shall be determined by the City Comptroller.
Such determination shall be final and shall be complied with within
15 days after the giving of notices thereof. In lieu of such bond,
securities approved by the City Comptroller or cash in such amount
as he/she may prescribe may be deposited with him/her, which shall
be kept in the custody of the City Comptroller, who may at any time,
without notice of the depositor, apply them to any tax and/or interest
or penalties due, and for that purpose the securities may be sold
by him/her at public or private sale without notice to the depositor
thereof.
If a return required by local law is not filed or if a return,
when filed, is incorrect or insufficient, the amount of tax due shall
be determined by the City Comptroller from such information as may
be obtainable, and, if necessary, the tax may be estimated on the
basis of external indices, such as number of rooms, locations, scale
of rents, comparable rents, type of accommodations and service, number
of employees and/or other factors. Notice of such determination shall
be given to the person liable for the collection and/or payment of
the tax. Such determination shall finally and irrevocably fix the
tax unless the person against whom it is assessed, within 30 days
after giving notice of such determination, shall apply to the City
Comptroller for a hearing or unless the City Comptroller on his/her
own motion shall redetermine the same. After such hearing, the City
Comptroller shall give notice of his/her determination to the person
against whom the tax is assessed. The determination of the City Comptroller
shall be reviewable for error, illegality, unconstitutionality or
any other recognizable basis whatsoever by proceeding under Article
78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules if application therefor is
made to the Supreme Court within 30 days after the giving of the notice
of such determination. A proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil
Practice Law and Rules shall not be instituted unless the amount of
any tax sought to be reviewed, with penalties and interest thereon,
if any, shall be first deposited with the City Comptroller and there
shall be filed with the City Comptroller an undertaking, issued by
a surety company authorized to transact business in this state and
approved by the Superintendent of Insurance of this state as to solvency
and responsibility, in such amount as a Justice of the Supreme Court
shall approve to the effect that, if such proceedings be dismissed
or the tax confirmed, the petitioner will pay all costs and charges
which may accrue, including reasonable counsel fees, in the prosecution
of the proceeding, or, at the option of the applicant, such undertaking
filed with the City Comptroller may be in a sum sufficient to cover
the taxes, penalties and interest thereon stated in such determination
plus the costs and charges, including reasonable counsel fees, which
may accrue against it in the prosecution of the proceedings, in which
event the applicant shall not be required to deposit such taxes, penalties
and interest as a condition precedent to the application.
All revenue resulting from the imposition of this tax under
this article shall be paid into the treasury of the City and shall
be credited to and deposited in a fund for the exclusive purpose of
developing, promoting, encouraging, boosting and stimulating tourism
and the economic growth, expansion, advancement and development in,
of and to the City.
A.
In the manner provided in this section, the City Comptroller shall
refund or credit, without interest, any tax penalty or interest erroneously,
illegally or unconstitutionally collected or paid if application to
the City Comptroller for such refund shall be made within one year
from the payment thereof. Whenever a refund is made by the City Comptroller,
he/she shall state his/her reason therefor in writing. Such application
may be made by the occupant, operator or other person who has actually
paid the tax. Such application may also be made by an operator who
has collected and paid over such tax to the City Comptroller, provided
that the application is made within one year of the payment by the
occupant to the operator, but no actual refund of moneys shall be
made to such operator until he/she shall first establish to the satisfaction
of the City Comptroller, under such regulations as the City Comptroller
may prescribe, that he/she has repaid to the occupant the amount for
which the application for refund is made. The City Comptroller may,
in lieu of any refund required to be made, allow credit therefor on
payments due or to become due from the applicant.
B.
An application for a refund or credit made as herein provided shall
be deemed an application for a revision of any tax, penalty or interest
complained of, and the City Comptroller may receive evidence with
respect thereto. After making his/her determination, the City Comptroller
shall give notice thereof to the applicant, who shall be entitled
to review such determination by a proceeding pursuant to Article 78
of the Civil Practice Law and Rules, provided that such proceeding
is instituted within 30 days after the giving of the notice of such
determination, and provided that a final determination of tax due
was not previously made. Such a proceeding shall not be instituted
unless an undertaking is filed with the City Comptroller in such amount
and with such sureties as a Justice of the Supreme Court shall approve
to the effect that, if such proceedings be dismissed or the tax confirmed,
the petitioner will pay costs and charges which may accrue in the
prosecution of such proceeding.
C.
A person shall not be entitled to a revision, refund or credit under this section of a tax, interest or penalty which had been determined to be due pursuant to the provisions of § 521-81 of this article where he/she has had a hearing or an opportunity for a hearing, as provided in said section, or has failed to avail himself of the remedies therein provided. No refund or credit shall be made of a tax, interest or penalty paid after a determination by the City Comptroller made pursuant to § 521-81 of this article unless it be found that such determination was erroneous, illegal or unconstitutional or otherwise improper by the City Comptroller after a hearing or on his/her own motion or in a proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules, pursuant to the provisions of said section, in which event refund or credit without interest shall be made of the tax, interest or penalty found to have been overpaid.
In cases where the occupant or operator has applied for a refund
and has instituted a proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil Practice
Law and Rules to review a determination adverse to him/her on his/her
application for refund, the City Comptroller shall have the option
of crediting future tax payments to meet the cost of any settlements
or judgments or, at his/her option, may, in the first instance, set
up appropriate reserves to meet any decision adverse to the City.
The remedies provided by §§ 521-81 and 521-83 of this article shall be the exclusive remedies available to any person for the review of tax liability imposed by this article, and no determination or proposed determination of tax or determination on any application for refund shall be enjoined or reviewed by an action for declaratory judgment, an action for money had and received or by any action or proceeding other than a proceeding in a nature of a certiorari proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules; provided, however, that a taxpayer may proceed by declaratory judgment if he/she institutes suit within 30 days after a deficiency assessment is made and pays the amount of the deficiency assessment to the City Comptroller prior to the institution of such suit and posts a bond for costs as provided in § 521-83 of this article.
A.
Whenever any operator or any officer of a corporate operator or any
occupant or other person shall fail to collect and pay over any tax
and/or to pay any tax, penalty or interest imposed by this article
as therein provided, the City Corporation Counsel shall, upon the
request of the City Comptroller, bring or cause to be brought an action
to enforce the payment of the same on behalf of the City of Peekskill
in any court of the State of New York or of any other state or of
the United States. If, however, the City Comptroller in his/her discretion
believes that any such operator, officer, occupant or other person
is about to cease business, leave the state or remove or dissipate
the assets out of which the tax or penalties might be satisfied, and
that any such tax or penalty will not be paid when due, he/she may
declare such tax or penalty to be immediately due and payable and
may issue a warrant immediately.
B.
As an additional or alternate remedy, the City Comptroller may direct
the City Assessor to, in the preparation of the next assessment roll,
assess the amount of such tax or penalty upon the property occupied
by business giving rise to such tax or penalty, and this amount shall
be levied, collected and enforced in the same manner as taxes upon
said property for City purposes are levied collected, and enforced.
C.
Whenever an operator shall make a sale, transfer or assignment in
bulk of any part of the whole of his/her hotel or its assets or his/her
lease, license or other agreement or right to possess or operate such
facility or of the equipment, furnishings, fixtures, supplies or stock
of merchandise or the said premises or lease, license or other agreement
or right to possess or operate such hotel and the equipment, furnishings,
fixtures, supplies and stock or merchandise pertaining to the conduct
or operation of said hotel otherwise than in the ordinary and regular
prosecution of business, the purchaser, transferee or assignee shall,
at least 10 days before taking possession of the subject of said sale,
transfer or assignment or paying therefor, notify the City Comptroller,
by registered mail, of the proposed sale and of the price, terms and
conditions thereof, whether or not the seller, transferor or assignor
has represented to or informed the purchaser, transferee or assignee
that it owes any tax pursuant to this article and whether or not the
purchaser, transferee or assignee has knowledge that such taxes are
owing and whether any such taxes are in fact owing.
D.
Whenever the purchaser, transferee or assignee shall fail to give
notice to the City Comptroller as required by the preceding subsection
or whenever the City Comptroller shall inform the purchaser, transferee
or assignee that a possible claim for such tax or taxes exists, any
sums of money, property or choses in action, or other consideration,
which the purchaser, transferee or assignee is required to transfer
over, the seller, transferor or assignor shall be subject to a first
priority right and lien for any such taxes theretofore or thereafter
determined to be due from the seller, transferor or assignor to the
City, and the purchaser, transferee or assignee is forbidden to transfer
to the seller, transferor or assignor any such sums of money, property
or choses in action to the extent of the amount of the City's
claim. For failure to comply with the provisions of this subsection,
the purchaser, transferee or assignee, in addition to being subject
to the liabilities and remedies imposed under the provisions of the
Uniform Commercial Code, shall be personally liable for the payment
to the City of any such taxes theretofore or thereafter determined
to be due to the City from the seller, transferor or assignor, and
such liability may be assessed and enforced in the same manner as
the liability for tax under this article. Whenever the purchaser,
transferee or assignee shall fail to give notice to the City Comptroller
as required by the preceding subsection or whenever the City Comptroller
shall inform the purchaser, transferee or assignee that a possible
claim for such tax or taxes exists, any sums of money, property or
choses in action, or other consideration, which the purchaser, transferee
or assignee is required to transfer over, the seller, transferor or
assignor shall be subject to a first priority right and lien for any
such taxes theretofore or thereafter determined to be due from the
seller, transferor or assignor to the City, and the purchaser, transferee
or assignee is forbidden to transfer to the seller, transferor or
assignor any such sums of money, property or choses in action to the
extent of the amount of the City's claim. For failure to comply
with the provisions of this subsection, the purchaser, transferee
or assignee, in addition to being subject to the liabilities and remedies
imposed under the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, shall
be personally liable for the payment to the City of any such taxes
theretofore or thereafter determined to be due to the City from the
seller, transferor or assignor, and such liability may be assessed
and enforced in the same manner as the liability for tax under this
article.
In addition to the powers granted to the City Comptroller by
the General City Law, the Peekskill Charter and Municipal Code, and
this article herein, he/she is hereby authorized and empowered to:
A.
Make, adopt and amend rules and regulations appropriate to the carrying
out of this article and the purposes thereof;
B.
Extend, for cause shown, the time of filing any return for a period
not exceeding 30 days, and, for cause shown, to remit penalties but
not interest computed at the rate of 1% per annum per month or fraction
thereof during which a tax is unpaid although due, and to compromise
disputed claims in connection with the taxes hereby imposed;
C.
Request information from the Tax Commission of the State of New York
or the Treasury Department of the United States relative to any person,
and to afford information to such Tax Commission or such Treasury
Department relative to any person, any other provision of this article
to the contrary notwithstanding;
D.
Delegate his/her functions hereunder to any employee or employees
of the City of Peekskill as the Common Council may approve;
E.
Prescribe methods for determining the rents for occupancy and to
determine the taxable and nontaxable rents;
F.
Require any operator within the City to keep detailed records of
the nature and type of hotel maintained, nature and type of service
rendered, the rooms available and rooms occupied daily, leases or
occupancy contracts or arrangements, rents received, charged and accrued,
the names and addresses of the occupants, whether or not any occupancy
is claimed to be subject to the tax imposed by this article, and to
furnish such information upon request to the City Comptroller;
G.
Assess, determine, revise and readjust the taxes imposed under this
article;
H.
Require any operator to submit with the return required hereunder
a copy of any tax return for sales, occupancy or use taxes submitted
to the Tax Commission or other instrumentality of the State of New
York.
A.
The City Comptroller or his/her employees or agents duly designated
and authorized by him/her shall have power to administer oaths and
take affidavits in relation to any matter or proceeding in the exercise
of their powers and duties under this article. The City Comptroller
shall have power to subpoena and require the attendance of witnesses
and the production of books, papers and documents, to secure information
pertinent to the performance of his/her duties hereunder and of the
enforcement of this article and to examine them in relation thereto.
B.
A Justice of the Supreme Court, either in court or at chambers, shall
have power summarily to enforce by proper proceedings the attendance
and testimony of witnesses and the production and examination of books,
papers and documents called for by the subpoena of the City Comptroller
under this article.
C.
Any person who shall refuse to testify or to produce books or records
or who shall testify falsely in any material matter pending before
the City Comptroller under this article shall be guilty of a misdemeanor,
punishment for which shall be a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment
for not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment.
D.
The officers who serve the summons or subpoena of the City Comptroller
and witnesses attending in response thereto shall be entitled to the
same fees as are allowed to officers and witnesses in civil cases
in courts of record, except as herein otherwise provided. Such officers
shall be the Chief of Police and his/her duly appointed deputies or
any officers, employees or other persons of the City Comptroller designated
by him/her to serve such process.
Wherever reference is made in placards or advertisements or
in any other publications to this tax, such reference shall be substantially
in the following form: "Tax on occupancy of hotel rooms," except that
in any bill, receipt, statement or other evidence or memorandum of
occupancy or rent charge issued or employed by the operator, the term
"City tax" will suffice.
A.
Any person failing to file a return or to pay over any tax to the
City Comptroller within the time required by this article shall be
subject to a penalty of 5% of the amount of tax due per month or any
fraction of a month to a maximum of 25% for each year, plus interest
at the rate of 1% of such tax for each month of delay or fraction
of a month after such return was required to be filed or such tax
became due, but the City Comptroller, if satisfied that the delay
was excusable, may remit all or any part of such penalty, but not
interest. Such net penalties and interest shall be paid and disposed
of in the same manner as other revenues from this article. Unpaid
penalties and interest may be enforced in the same manner as the tax
imposed by this article.
B.
Any operator or occupant and any officer of an operator or occupant failing to file a return required by this article, or filing or causing to be filed or making or causing to be made or giving or causing to be given any return, certificate, affidavit, representation, information, testimony or statement required or authorized by this article which is willfully false, and any operator and any officer of a corporate operator willfully failing to file a bond required to be filed pursuant to § 521-81 of this article or failing to file a registration certificate and such data in connection therewith as the City Comptroller may by regulation or otherwise require to display or surrender the certificate of authority as required by this article or assigning or transferring such certificate of authority, and any operator or any officer of a corporate operator willfully failing to charge separately from the rent the tax herein imposed or willfully failing to state such tax separately on any evidence of occupancy and on any bill or statement or receipt of rent issue or employed by the operator or willfully failing or refusing to collect such tax from the occupant, any operator or any officer of a corporate operator who shall refer or cause reference to be made to this tax in a form or manner other than that required by this article, and any such person or operator failing to keep records required by this article, shall, in addition to the penalties herein or elsewhere prescribed, be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both such fine and imprisonment. Officers of a corporate operator shall be personally liable for the tax collected or required to be collected by such corporation under this article and penalties and interest thereon and subject to the fines and imprisonment herein authorized.
C.
The certificate of the City Comptroller to the effect that a tax
has not been paid, that a return, bond or registration certificate
has not been filed or that information has not been supplied pursuant
to the provisions of this article shall be presumptive evidence thereof.
A.
Except in accordance with proper judicial order or as otherwise provided
by law, it shall be unlawful for the City Comptroller or employee
or designee of the City Comptroller to divulge or make known in any
manner the rents or other information relating to the business of
a taxpayer contained in any return required under this article. The
officers charged with the custody of such returns shall not be required
to produce any of them or evidence of anything contained in them in
any action or proceeding in any court, except on behalf of the City
Comptroller in an action or proceeding under the provisions of this
article or on behalf of any party to any action or proceeding under
the provisions of this article when the returns or facts shown thereby
are directly involved in such action or proceeding, in either of which
events the court may require the production of, and may admit in evidence,
so much of said returns or of the facts shown thereby as are pertinent
to the action or proceeding and no more. Nothing herein shall be construed
to prohibit the delivery to a taxpayer or his/her duly authorized
representative of a certified copy of any return filed in connection
with his/her tax nor to prohibit the publication of statistics so
classified to prevent the identification of particular returns and
items thereof or the inspection by the City Corporation Counsel or
other legal representatives of the City or by the District Attorney
of any County of the return of any taxpayer who shall bring action
to set aside or review the tax based thereon, or against whom an action
or proceeding has been instituted for the collection of a tax or penalty.
Returns shall be preserved for three years and thereafter until the
City Comptroller permits them to be destroyed.
B.
Any violation of Subsection A of this section shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000 or by imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both, in the discretion of the court, and if the offender be an officer or employee of the City, he/she may be removed from office in accordance with law.
A.
Any notice authorized or required under the provisions of this article
may be given to the person to whom it is intended in a postpaid envelope
addressed to such person at the address given in the last return filed
by him/her pursuant to the provisions of this article or in any application
made by him/her or, if no return has been filed or application made,
then to such address as may be obtainable. The mailing of such notice
shall be presumptive evidence of the receipt of the same by the person
to who addressed. Any period of time which is determined according
to the provisions of this article by the giving of notice shall commence
five days after the date of mailing of such notice.
B.
The provisions of the Civil Practice Law and Rules or any other law
relative to limitations of time for the enforcement of a civil remedy
shall not apply to any proceeding or action taken by the City to levy,
appraise, assess, determine or enforce the collection of any tax or
penalty provided by this article. However, except in the case of a
willfully false, fraudulent return with intent to evade the tax, no
assessment of additional tax shall be made after the expiration of
more than three years from the date of filing of a return; provided,
however, that, in the case of a return which should have been filed
and has not been filed as provided by law, the tax may be assessed
at any time.
C.
Where, before expiration of the period prescribed herein for the
assessment of an additional tax, a taxpayer has consented in writing
that such period be extended, the amount of such additional tax due
may be determined at any time within such extended period. The period
so extended may be further extended by subsequent consents, in writing,
made before the expiration of the extended period.
If any provision of this article, or the application thereof
to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, the remainder of this
article, and the application of such provision to other persons or
circumstances, shall not be affected thereby.
