We at Big Hollywood find it impossible to believe that strident tax-raising advocate Alec Baldwin would even consider fibbing on his own taxes in order to play less than his fair share. Furthermore, we look forward to reporting the news as soon as his name has been cleared of this outrage.’
Did that sound at all sincere…? Because I was really trying.
Actor Alec Baldwin has joined a list of elite New Yorkers targeted by tax collectors who think they’re fibbing about where they really live to dodge New York City income taxes.
In recent years, auditors have confronted hundreds of super-wealthy New Yorkers over the residency rules – including star Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter.
Facing shrinking revenues, the state has ramped up its pursuit of suspected tax dodgers, hiring 189 new auditors and – for the first time – making filers swear under oath on tax forms as to how many days they “spend in New York City.”
If it’s more than 183 days and the filer has a residence in the city, the tax bill goes up.
Baldwin, star of NBC‘s “30 Rock,” owns a three-bedroom co-op on Central Park West, a house in the Hamptons and a pad near his daughter in Los Angeles.
He spends lots of time in the city doing the show, but claims the Hamptons as home base. That made him one of hundreds of people slapped with an audit in 2009.
“The moment you start working regularly [in the city], the city finance people come after you,” Baldwin recently told an audience at City College.
Neither Baldwin nor tax officials would discuss his case with the Daily News.
Tax expert Barry Horowitz said the aggressive tactics are designed to boost the state’s coffers.
Full story here.