Associated Press - March 16, 2010 5:35 PM ET
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Delinquent New York taxpayers apparently don't owe that much after all, or they just refuse to pay up.
Either way, Gov. David Paterson says the projected windfall from a tax amnesty program was way off. Even after it was extended, the program now is expected to pull in about $50 million, just one-fifth of the $250 million he expected.
The tax shortfall is part of the current deficit of $2.1 billion.
The current tax amnesty allows debtors to settle their bills as long as they weren't already under audit or facing a bill for the delinquency.
In December, Paterson and the Legislature agreed to the new tax amnesty program to help close a multibillion dollar deficit.
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