Foreign missions exempt from property taxes

After years of litigation, New York City’s attempts to collect property taxes from foreign missions to the United Nations has been dealt a major setback, according to the New York Law Journal. The U.S. Court of Appeals has decided to exempt the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations and as well as the representative of the Mongolian People’s Republic from property taxes as a benefit under the Foreign Missions Act. The designation renders the missions exempt from all property taxes and clears all outstanding liens against them. The State Department issued its notice on the exemption in June 2009. The notice applies to taxes on property owned by foreign governments used to house the staff of permanent missions to the United Nations or the Organization of American States. [New York Law Journal]