About

Who We Are

Tax My Property Fairly is an online resource for property owners in Upstate New York (from Buffalo to Albany) to get information and tools to fight for fair property taxes. It was established in 2018 by Tom Golisano, entrepreneur and philanthropist, who owns property in New York State and successfully challenged his assessment on two homes. Through this web site he will share what he has learned in the process.

Our Goal

Our goal is to educate, inform and engage taxpayers on improving the property tax and assessment system in New York State and to help property owners living in upstate NY better understand two things:

The inequitable method of real estate taxation based on property assessment.
‍Why taxpayers in upstate New York pay some of the highest taxes in the nation relative to market value.

We will explain how to determine if your property is fairly assessed and if not, how to challenge your assessment without going into debt.

If you’re a first-time home buyer you may wonder why your taxes are as much or more than your interest and principal payment.

If you’re a retiree you are probably trying to figure out how you can afford to stay in the house and community you have called home for years.

It’s not enough to cap property tax increases at two percent when the initial rates were already too high.

We need solutions that will make it more affordable to move to and stay in New York State.

Our legislators have failed to address and correct these two issues, which they’ve known about for years.

What can you the homeowner do?

Become educated. Know what are you paying in taxes and why.
Understand your assessment and if you think it is not fair, challenge it to get your taxes reduced.
Voice your opinion and tell your legislators that taxes in upstate and western New York are too high.
Participate in your local government including attending town and school board meetings and voting.
Share your stories and ideas on how we can create a more equitable property tax system.

It's up to us, the taxpayers, to work with our elected officials to create a property tax system that is fair and equitable for all taxpayers.

About Tom Golisano

Tax My Property Fairly was established in 2018 by Tom Golisano, entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader. Mr. Golisano grew up in western NY and earned a degree in general business management from Alfred State College in 1962.

Mr. Golisano is the founder of Paychex, Inc., the nation’s largest human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses, providing integrated human capital management solutions for payroll, benefits, human resources, and insurance services for more than 730,000 clients in the U.S. and Northern Europe. Tom Golisano served as Paychex’s president and chief executive officer from 1971, when he founded the company, until October 2004, when he retired from his position as president and CEO. He continued to serve as Chairman of the Board until December 1, 2021, when Martin Mucci succeeded him and assumed that role. With 45-plus years of industry expertise, Paychex has 16,000 employees and pays one in 12 U.S. private-sector employees. It is headquartered in Rochester, New York.

Mr. Golisano has demonstrated an ongoing dedication and commitment to many civic issues and organizations particularly those that benefit upstate New York.

His investments have helped drive the success of numerous businesses and start-ups including BlueTie, Botkeeper, Circinus Medical Technology, Cognivue, Council Rock, CurAuegis, Dinamic OR, Fairly Tax, Greenlight Networks, Kickfurther, Kodak, Line 5, Mykonos Software, Pictometry International, Post Process Technologies, SafeSite, Store to Door, TrueFrame, Twinlab, Viridi Parente, and Zoom Tan.

In 1985, he launched his first philanthropic endeavor by establishing the Golisano Foundation, which awards more than $3 million in grants annually to organizations in Western NY that provides opportunities for those with intellectual disabilities. His personal philanthropic contributions to hospitals, including three children’s hospitals that bear his name (Rochester, NY, Syracuse NY and Fort Myers, Florida), educational institutions and other organizations exceeds $330 million.

In recognition of his achievements and endeavors, Mr. Golisano has received numerous awards and holds honorary doctorate degrees from five different colleges and universities. He also is a Trustee of Rochester Institute of Technology, where two buildings bear his name, the Institute of Sustainability and College of Computing Information and Sciences.

A long-time advocate for political reform. Mr. Golisano became a founding member of the Independence Party of New York State. As a candidate of that party, he ran for governor of New York in 1994, 1998, and 2002.

Mr. Golisano is the former owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League, which he purchased in 2003 to keep the important community asset in Buffalo, demonstrating his commitment to Western New York and the region's economic climate. Mr. Golisano sold the team in 2011 with the stipulation that the team remain in Western NY.

In February 2020, his first book, Built, Not Born was launched, providing Tom Golisano's trademark direct and often humorous style, and no-nonsense advice across all phases of business ownership.

In February 2021, his second book, The Italian Kid Did It, was published, in which Mr. Golisano shares the political shenanigans, behind-the-scenes stories, and significant characters from his remarkable life, as well as key insights to thrive in your career.

NOTE: The purpose of this Website, newsletters and responses to questions is to help you to understand real property taxes and assessments in New York State and is for educational
purposes only. This Website is NOT providing legal advice, nor is it intended to replace the advice of an attorney or other qualified professional. Mr. Golisano is not responsible for how you ultimately use
the results from the Website, our newsletters or answers to questions, including, but not limited to, your decision to challenge your tax assessment, or your choice to participate or not participate in any class action lawsuit based on the information on the Website. The statements and opinions herein are not guaranteed to be accurate and neither Mr. Golisano nor anyone else affiliated with Tax My Property Fairly makes any warranty as to the information provided. Your decision to access and use the Website or any information contained in the website or from anyone affiliated with Tax My Property Fairly is voluntary and is solely at your own risk.