https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...to-tax-stock-trades-with-revenue-in-free-fall How would this work since the data centers and matching engines are in NJ and only the TV studios are in NYC? New York Sees Push to Tax Stock Trades With Revenue in Free Fall By Martin Z Braun July 20, 2020, 8:33 AM CDT Stock transfer tax would raise $13 billion annually for state Ascendant progressive lawmakers are more amenable to tax Democrats in New York, the world’s financial capital, may finally have the right moment to resurrect the state tax on stock trades. One-fifth of the state’s revenue is disappearing, leaving a projected four-year deficit of $61 billion. Progressive Democrats are on the ascent in the state legislature. Stock trading has surged. And taxing it would raise $13 billion a year to avert painful cuts to government services during a pandemic that’s exaggerating economic and racial inequality. “If ever there was an opportune moment for New York to resurrect its stock transfer tax, it’s now,” said Andrew Silverman, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. “The state legislature is probably more amenable now than at any time in decades.” Last month, about 100 members of the 213 members of the New York legislature signed a letter saying the state should raise taxes on the rich before cutting spending to balance the budget. Other Democratic proposals include raising taxes on billionaires, large corporations and second-home purchases of $5 million or more. In 2016, the wealthiest 10% of Americans owned 84% of stocks, according to a study by New York University Professor Edward Wolff. “Every single significant exchange in the world has a financial transaction tax save one, which is Germany, and they’ve proposed it there,” Steck said. “Is the London Stock Exchange out of business? Have they moved to Dublin?” Steck’s bill calls for a tax of 1.25 cents on a sale of stock worth $5 or less a share to as much as 5 cents for stocks worth more than $20 per share. Revenue would be targeted to New York’s general fund for three fiscal years. Afterward, it would used for infrastructure, with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority getting 25%. Even so, the tax would draw opposition from banks and brokers. Wall Street is responsible for 17% of state tax revenue and 181,200 jobs, some of which could be jeopardized if trading volume falls, securities industry groups say. The Investment Company Institute said the tax would harm millions of moderate-income investors in mutual funds. Freeman Klopott, a spokesman for Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget office, said a tax could just cause firms to shift trading elsewhere. “In the digital age it would be even easier for transactions to simply be moved out of state to avoid the tax,” he said. A serious discussion of the levy may prompt threats by the New York Stock Exchange, owned by Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange to relocate, according to Silverman, the Bloomberg Intelligence analyst. Farrell Kramer, a spokesman for the NYSE, declined to comment.
Sounds like it is per share, which of course would devastate HFT and many forms of day trading. I think as long as it's a NY tax, rather than an SEC tax, there should be workarounds by having trades execute elsewhere.
Stock traders would finally get a chance to feel what it's like to be a futures trader. I don't agree about it "devastating daytrading". Something tells me people would get used to it, like how they were comfortable trading stocks with commissions way back in the day, like a year ago.
Let's hope it doesn't become federal, which it would under Biden. It's dangerous because they'll start small then raise over time until daytrading and swingtrading becomes unprofitable and dies for retail traders. Enjoy our current low-cost trading while it lasts. Will ftt impact options, futures or fx traders?
Well, worst case is 5 cents on $20, or 25 bps per trade. Even half that annualizes to 37% per round trip. Not too many day traders clear that.
Cuomo's spokesperson is correct - the tax would just move trading and firms and infrastructure elsewhere. It's a digital age, and the City of New York does not have a captive resource to tax in the form of financial transactions.