Bergen County Shouldn't Be Double Taxed, Gottheimer Says In Ridgewood

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — New Jerseyans who pay high state and local income taxes have been able to get some of the money back in a federal tax deduction since 1913, but local officials say "moochers" in other states are trying to lower the deduction — and they're not having it.

Rep. Josh Gottheimer joined Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos and other local officials Monday to explain their efforts to raise the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction.

Gottheimer also announced a comment portal, urging North Jersey residents to submit their feedback on SALT’s importance.

Gottheimer, Co-Chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus, said that the 2017 bill that capped the deduction at $10,000 will expire in 15 months. He believes the cap is too low, and residents should be able to deduct much more.

In 2017, the average SALT deduction taken in New Jersey was $19,000, and it was $24,000 in Bergen County, Gottheimer's office said.

The portal to leave comments can be reached here.

People Are Leaving Because Of Taxes

Because of increased taxes, Jersey ranks 37th in the country for cost of living and eighth in outmigration, with families and businesses citing affordability and taxes as their main reasons to leave, Gottheimer's representatives said.

Restoring the SALT deduction will help more than three million Jersey families — a third of the state’s residents, they said.

“As you know, I never back down from a fight and when it comes to restoring SALT, and getting tax cuts for our hardworking Jersey families, the fight isn’t finished just yet," Gottheimer said. “Thankfully, we may soon be able to put an end to this SALT nightmare. Please go to my website, ‘Gottheimer.House.Gov/SALT,’ and leave your comments about how the SALT cap has affected you, your family, and your small businesses. We’ll accept comments through October 4, 2024, and make them part of the comprehensive SALT Plan we are preparing to release this fall."

“We’re here for a very, very important reason. Our Congressman Josh Gottheimer is fighting every day to restore the SALT tax deduction that has hit New Jersey and Ridgewood so especially hard," said Vagianos. "This is not a Republican issue. This is not a Democrat issue. This is a New Jersey issue."

Gottheimer was joined by Ridgewood Mayor Paul Vagianos, Ridgewood Deputy Mayor Pamela Perron, President and CEO of the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce Tom Bracken, President of North Jersey Chamber of Commerce Carol Rausher, President Fair Lawn Chamber of Commerce Stella Lemberg, and Member of the Fair Lawn Chamber of Commerce Ryan Greff.