Albany, Let Me Keep More of What I Earn
Four years ago, I started delivering through DoorDash because I needed flexibility. I had a background in retail management, I was working with other platforms, and I wanted to earn on my own schedule without someone else deciding when I showed up and when I went home.
That flexibility still drives everything for me. I’m a father of two. My wife stays home with our kids. I volunteer as a firefighter. I’m active in my church. My life doesn’t fit neatly into a nine-to-five, and dashing lets me show up for all of it: my family, my community, my responsibilities — without having to choose.
What I earn goes to what every family needs: bills, living expenses, savings. I’m contributing to Roth IRAs for my kids to build something for their future. Getting to keep every single penny matters more than it might sound, so that when something unexpected comes up, I don’t have to panic. That kind of access to what you’ve earned makes a real difference.
I say all of this because I want to be clear about who New York’s tipped workers actually are. We’re neighbors, parents, community members. People fitting gig work into full lives because it gives us something traditional jobs often can’t: the freedom to be where we need to be, when we need to be there. And tips are a meaningful part of what makes that work.
That’s why I’m watching Albany right now. Governor Hochul’s proposal to eliminate state income taxes on tips would save me several thousand dollars a year. That’s the family trip we’ve been putting off. That’s a sudden expense we don’t have to stress about. That’s more going into my kids’ future.
The federal government already acted. No Tax on Tips passed last year, and I’ve already seen what a difference it makes at tax time. New York now has the chance to build on that, to say to the hundreds of thousands of people across this state who earn tips for a living: we see you, and we’re going to let you keep more of what you’ve worked for.
I’m not asking for a handout. I’m asking Albany to not take money out of my pocket that my customers meant to give to me.
I come from a proud military family. I was raised to believe that hard work and service deserve respect. I show up for this community every day at the firehouse, at my church, on the road. I’m asking Albany to do the same for workers like me.
Zachary Fitzgerald is a delivery worker and volunteer firefighter in Rensselaer, New York.
