Authorities from New York closed and took possession of Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn after the restaurant reportedly failed to pay almost $200,000 in taxes to the state:
Brooklyn’s most beloved pizza joint — known for delicious slices and a grungy vibe since 1965 — has shut down amid apparently outstanding state tax bills.https://t.co/Tl7AYQdQci
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) August 20, 2019
From the New York Daily News:
A Taxation Department spokesman said the seizure stems from $167,506 in outstanding tax debt the pizzeria owes the state.
“Seizing a business is always our last resort,” Taxation Department spokesman James Gazzale said. “Long before we seize a business we are in contact with the owner to let them know there is an outstanding tax debt.”
The closure caught the attention of Bil de Blasio, who oddly hasn’t spoken out against New York’s state taxes before and their impact on small businesses. But NOW he wants something done because he likes their pizza:
Di Fara is THE best pizza place in New York City. It MUST be saved. I’m ready to do anything I can to get them reopened — as are thousands of New York City pizza-lovers.
My team and I are looking into how we can help resolve this situation. https://t.co/oL1jKxpgh5
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 21, 2019
You see, small businesses he likes don’t have to pay their taxes:
You going pay their taxes?
— Eddie Wilkowski ??☘️ (@EWilkowski) August 21, 2019
A taxpayer bailout of a pizza place is on the way?
R u going to use our taxes to bail them out? If they didn’t pay their taxes they need to be punished for it!! What happens to me if I don’t pay my taxes? They’ll seize my assets! Stop with this bull crap! R u going to do the same with all the businesses that don’t pay taxes?
— Dorand (@dorand1976) August 21, 2019
Question for the mayor: Who else doesn’t have to pay taxes?
How about paying my taxes too, Wilhelm??
— David Bruder (@DBYankees1) August 21, 2019
Cool, people like me too, can I get help with my state tax bills?
— Murse (@murse10035) August 21, 2019
Nope. Still not going to be the nominee:
Pizza pandering…it still won’t get you the nomination.
— Mark Starling (@Starling570wwnc) August 21, 2019
This is dumb. You are going to use your official, very powerful office to bail out one business you like over their failure to pay taxes? Are you going to intervene every time a business in NYC faces tax trouble? Or just when it's good optics for a dopey campaign? https://t.co/jy2vTFVQOD
— Ross Barkan (@RossBarkan) August 21, 2019
And people who eat pizza with a fork don’t get to weigh in on this anyway:
You don't know anything about pizza. pic.twitter.com/v9lbvoRBFw
— Bill De Skasio (@BilldeSkasio) August 21, 2019
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