NYC mayor finally releases tax returns

New York City Mayor Eric Adams released his 2021 tax returns on Friday, six months after he pledged to provide the public with information about his income, real estate earnings and charitable contributions.

The tax returns became an issue during his campaign for mayor after reports in The City found tax irregularities connected with his Brooklyn rental property. Adams initially refused to commit to releasing his returns before reversing course.

Adams reported $245,324 in federal adjusted gross income, including a nearly $180,000 salary from the city, police pension and rental income, according to tax documents seen by Bloomberg.

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Eric Adams, mayor of New York, speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg

He paid $56,074 in federal taxes, and had a 24% federal effective rate. He also paid $19,393 in state and local taxes for the year, and had a 10.1% state and local effective tax rate based on his New York state filing.

Adams claimed zero charitable gifts in his 2021 taxes. A City Hall spokesperson said that the mayor gave about $5,000 to charity last year but didn't claim the donations because of a lack of receipts. The mayor also gave to individuals who were victims of crime, the spokesperson said.

A cryptocurrency booster who vowed to take his first three city paychecks in Bitcoin and Ethereum, Adams also checked a box on his tax filings signifying that he bought virtual currency in 2021. He didn't claim capital gains or losses, suggesting he hadn't sold crypto currency during 2021.

While the mayor reported receiving $24,600 in rental income on a Brooklyn townhouse where he has lived and rented out units, Adams claimed nearly all of it as expenses, paying taxes on only $3,429. There are four units at the property, including three rental units. 

The mayor, who has faced controversy about where he lives, also stated in the tax filings that he spent all of 2021 living in New York City. 

Adams is releasing the tax filings now because he filed an extension, a spokesperson said. The mayor tested positive for COVID shortly before the federal tax deadline.

While the disclosure of tax details is not required by law, the last five mayors in New York City released at least portions of their returns. That includes Adams's predecessor Bill de Blasio, as well as Ed Koch, David Dinkins, Rudy Giuliani and Michael Bloomberg, the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.

Bloomberg News
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