Gov. Andrew Cuomo has reported earning $196,000 on his federal tax return for tax year 2015, a sharp reduction from the previous year when his memoir boosted his income.
According to his tax returns, the Democratic governor made $168,000 from his gubernatorial salary along with some income from investments. Cuomo's office made his tax returns available for inspection by journalists Friday, ahead of Monday's tax filing deadline.
In last year's returns, Cuomo reported making more than $550,000, which included just under $377,000 for the book "All Things Possible," which was published by HarperCollins in late 2014.
Sales of the book were poor enough that the publisher opted not to release it in paperback. This year's tax returns for Cuomo show no income from royalties for the book.
Cuomo's total state taxes in 2015 were $12,500. He will receive a refund of $1,728.
The returns show Cuomo made $10,000 in donations to HELP USA, a charity for the homeless that he founded decades ago. He also paid more than $9,000 in tax preparation fees.
Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and her husband reported $311,000 in income on their returns. They received a federal refund of nearly $1,600 and owed $439 to the state. Hochul is married to William Hochul, the U.S. attorney for the Western District of New York. The couple reported $20,500 in charitable contributions to organizations including a food bank and public library in Buffalo, the Audubon Society and the World Wildlife Fund.
