Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 51122 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 09USUNNEWYORK607, POLISH MISSION PROTESTS NYC REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #09USUNNEWYORK607.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09USUNNEWYORK607 2009-06-19 20:39 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED USUN New York
VZCZCXYZ0010
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0607/01 1702039
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 192039Z JUN 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6746
INFO RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 3288
UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000607 
 
SIPDIS 
 
IO/UNP: SUSAN EDMONDSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL OFDP PL KREC
SUBJECT: POLISH MISSION PROTESTS NYC REAL PROPERTY TRANSFER 
TAX (RPTT) 
 
1.  (U) This is an action request.  See paragraph 8. 
 
2.  (U) SUMMARY:  Representatives of the Polish Mission to 
the UN (PMUN) met June 16 with the NYC Commission for the UN 
(NYCC) to clarify rules re Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) 
in NY.  USUN/HC was invited to attend.  The PMUN is in 
contract to sell a small property next week and NYC's tax 
regulations stipulate that, in this case, the RPTT (a tax 
normally paid by seller) must be paid by the buyer since the 
PMUN is exempt from paying tax per a bilateral agreement. 
The PMUN believes the transaction should be exempt and views 
NYC's application of RPTT as a breach of the bilateral treaty 
since, in practice, the PMUN must lower the sales price to 
secure a buyer.  Of greater concern is the tax implication 
for a prospective sale of the PMUN's $50 MIL office building 
in 2010. The PMUN warned that its government must consider 
applying reciprocity toward the USG in Poland if NYC's rules 
prevail. The PMUN wants USG intervention and USUN/HC advised 
it to raise the matter with DOS through its Embassy in 
Washington. END SUMMARY. 
 
3.  (U) On June 16, armed with a diplomatic note HC-52-09 
from USUN/HC and Article 18 of the Bilateral Agreement 
between the USG and Poland, the PMUN's Deputy PermRep Pawel 
Herczynski, and local lawyer Jerzy Sokol protested the 
application of Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) to the sale 
of its Queens, NY property scheduled to occur the following 
week.  Since RPTT is a tax normally paid by the seller, Sokol 
claimed the exemption is, in practice, invalid since buyers 
would clearly expect to be accommodated by a reduction in 
price commensurate with the tax, particularly in the current 
sales market.  The DPR and his lawyer stated: 
 
- NYC position that the buyer pay the RPTT, in this 
particular sale, was financially disadvantageous to the PMUN 
and is clearly a breach of the spirit of the bilateral 
agreement, if not the letter of it. 
 
- The PMUN was surprised that NYC, was "trying not to obey 
the bilateral agreement" since its regulations make the PMUN 
pay the tax by the "back door." 
 
- Using sales tax exemption as an example, the DPR said its 
value was that the tax on the transaction itself was waived, 
i.e., the merchant was not expected to pay the sales tax, 
either. 
 
- NYC's local tax regulations that RPTT must still be paid if 
both parties were not exempt, was actually discriminatory. 
Sales among exempt parties were a minuscule percentage of 
property sales and did not apply in their current sale. 
 
-  The Bilateral Agreement is not interpreted in this way in 
Warsaw and if NYC and the USG accept these terms, then the 
Polish Government will consider invoking reciprocity in 
Poland. 
 
 
NYC on RPTT 
 
4.  (U) New York City Commission for the UN, Consular Corps 
and Protocol (NYCC), part of the Office of the NYC Mayor, was 
represented by Deputy Commissioner Bradford Billet and 
General Counsel Linda Wayner.  Wayner and Billet said the 
following: 
 
-  The bilateral agreement did not state all sales 
transactions of real property are exempt, but only specified 
that the Polish Government was exempt to which NYC agreed. 
 
- In the U.S., its states, cities and municipal authorities 
have the power to interpret the law (in this case the 
bilateral agreement).  While NYC agrees that the Polish 
Mission is exempt from the RPTT, payment of this tax was a 
pre-condition for transfer of property and therefore must be 
paid by the buyer, if the buyer is not an exempt entity. 
 
- NYC courts had ruled that this interpretation was 
consistent with the exemptions allowed. 
 
-  There are certain costs associated with doing business in 
NY. Wayner cited the example of companies that might increase 
the cost of leasing property to diplomats because of risks 
assumed since diplomats cannot be taken to court. 
 
-  The Mayor's Office (which NYCC represents) has no 
authority to change these tax regulations that were enacted 
by the City's government and confirmed in court rulings 
(though no specific cases involving diplomats had been heard). 
 
 
- In regard to the prospective sale of PMUN property valued 
at over $50 million, Wayner contemplated that the PMUN might 
consider it worthwhile to set aside money for litigation on 
this point since no diplomatic case had been heard in NY 
courts. 
 
USUN/HC Intervention 
 
5.  (U) MinCouns Graham stated that he was in listening mode 
and would take the position of the PMUN back to Washington. 
 
- He noted that the USG position was clear in HC-52-09 that 
the PMUN was exempt from the RPTT. 
 
- He asked, and received clarification from NYCC that the 
RPTT was, indeed, a tax and NOT a service fee for registering 
the transaction. 
 
-  MinCouns Graham told the PMUN that reciprocity is not 
appropriate in the multilateral context in New York since 
member states are treated in the same manner with exceptions 
only on national security grounds. 
 
Conclusion 
 
6.  (U) The meeting ended cordially but with no resolution. 
The PMUN's DPR requested the City's position in writing and 
stated that it appeared a clear breach of the intent, if not 
the letter of the Bilateral Agreement.  He repeated that the 
Polish Government would have to consider reciprocal taxation 
on USG property transactions in Poland.  To the suggestion 
from NYCC to litigate, he said that this was not the usual 
course of action taken by the GOP. 
 
7.  (SBU) COMMENT: USUN/HC MinCouns was sympathetic to the 
Polish Mission's concerns and provided information from the 
NYC Finance Department's website to the PMUN, which appeared 
to contain possible loopholes that the Mission's lawyer could 
explore.  He also advised the DPR privately to have his 
Embassy discuss the matter with Washington, particularly in 
regard to an upcoming $50 million sale of property.  The 
Polish Government appears not to be overly concerned that the 
PMUN will probably be forced to reduce the sale price on the 
current contract by $10K in what it sees as a "back door" tax 
imposed by NYC.  The GOP is concerned about the principle 
involved and what is likely to happen if they sell the $50 
million property in 2010.  For that reason, the Poles cannot 
really understand why the Department does not tell the City 
to back down.  USUN expects that the GOP will raise this 
issue bilaterally in both Washington and Warsaw even if the 
current sales transaction is completed. 
 
8.  (U) USUN seeks Department view. 
RICE