Work, taxes and money

Settling in Brooklyn means sorting out three practical things quickly: how you earn a living, what your pay and taxes look like, and where you keep your money. This chapter explains the main rules and where to turn for help. Most of them are New York City or New York State rules, not Brooklyn-only ones, and they can change, so confirm figures on the official pages.

• $17.00NYC general minimum wage per hour, as of 2026; state says the rate stays the same on 1 Jan 2027
• 1 hour per 30Paid protected time off accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (DCWP, as of 2026)
• 8.875%Combined NYC sales tax rate (as of 2026)
• $250,000Standard federal deposit insurance per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category

Finding work in Brooklyn

Two public job-search networks cover Brooklyn, and both are free. The New York State Department of Labor runs the Kings County Workforce1 Career Center near Downtown Brooklyn, which describes its help as free job-search services. The City's Small Business Services agency runs the Workforce1 system, which offers career counselling, workshops, résumé help, training connections and referrals to openings. Brooklyn has several Workforce1 sites, so check which one is closest and whether it is open in person or virtual before you travel.^156,157

Use the Jobs section of this site for current Brooklyn openings and employer listings. Whatever source you use, apply the same caution: the Federal Trade Commission advises that honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job, and that a request to deposit a check and send part of it back is a fake-check scam.¹⁵⁹

Minimum wage, time off and pay rights

New York State sets the minimum wage by region. For New York City, Long Island and Westchester the general minimum is $17.00 an hour, and the State Department of Labor says that rate stays the same on 1 January 2027. The rest of the state is $16.00. Tipped workers and home care aides have their own rates, which the Department explains on the same page, and it offers a lookup tool for your location and industry.¹⁶⁰

New York City also has a protected time off law, formerly known as the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act. Most employees who work in the City, including part-time, temporary and undocumented workers, accrue paid time off at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked. The paid cap is generally 40 hours a year, or 56 hours at employers with 100 or more employees, and every employer must also make 32 hours of unpaid protected time off available immediately. You can use time off for your own or a family member's health needs and for other listed reasons. Retaliating against you for using it or complaining about it is illegal. DCWP describes the combined yearly amount as up to 72 or 88 hours.^161,162

Wage theft and where to complain

Wage theft includes unpaid wages, illegal deductions, unpaid overtime and pay below the minimum. In New York, wage claims go to the State Department of Labor; its Labor Standards unit generally will not accept claims for wages earned more than three years ago, and will not take some kinds of claims, such as work performed outside New York State or true independent-contractor work. The City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) handles City-law matters such as protected time off, and says it treats information it receives as confidential. DCWP also says that every covered worker has the same time-off rights regardless of immigration status and that it does not ask about status during investigations.^163,164,161

Income taxes for New York City residents

New York City residents pay federal tax, New York State tax and a separate City resident income tax, all reported on one New York State return. State rules treat you as a City resident if your permanent home (domicile) is in the City, or if you keep a permanent place to live in the City for substantially all of the year and spend 184 days or more here. Full-year residents generally file Form IT-201, which covers state and City tax together. The City's tax rates depend on a graduated schedule in the return instructions, so use those rather than a rule of thumb.^165,166

If you moved into or out of the City partway through the year, your return is different. New York's instructions say that a change of city resident status calls for Form IT-360.1, filed with Form IT-201 when only your City residence changed, or with Form IT-203 when your State residence also changed. Because the answer depends on your intent and circumstances, this is a good moment to ask a tax professional or a free tax site.¹⁶⁷

Sales tax is simpler. As of 2026 the combined rate in New York City is 8.875%, made up of 4.5% City, 4% State and 0.375% for the commuter transportation district. Groceries, medicine and diapers are exempt, and clothing and footwear under $110 are not taxed.¹⁶⁸

Free tax help

NYC Free Tax Prep offers free filing help, including e-filing and direct deposit. For the 2025 tax year the City lists income limits of $68,000 or less without dependents and $97,000 or less with dependents; you must live or work in the City, and the Site Finder lets you search by language. The IRS also runs the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) programme, which has no programme-wide income limit but is aimed mainly at people who meet Earned Income Tax Credit guidelines, and individual sites may set their own limits. Limits are updated each year, so check the current ones.^169,170

Banking, credit unions and money safety

Banks and credit unions both offer checking and savings. Federal deposit insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category at an FDIC-insured bank, and the National Credit Union Administration provides the same level of coverage per member-owner at federally insured credit unions. Credit unions must display the NCUA sign, and you can confirm one in the NCUA locator. Insurance does not cover stocks, bonds or mutual funds, even if sold at a credit union.^171,172,172

NYC Financial Empowerment Centers give free, one-on-one financial counselling to anyone 18 or older who lives or works in the City. They do not provide loans or grants, and you can book online or call 311 and ask for financial counselling.¹⁷³

If you send money abroad, federal rules for transfers of more than $15 require providers to disclose fees, the exchange rate and the amount to be delivered. You generally have 30 minutes after paying to cancel for free, and 180 days to report an error. Smaller providers with very few transfers a year may be exempt.¹⁷⁴

Starting a small business

The City's NYC Business Solutions Centers give free help with starting, running and growing a business, including financing, courses, legal help and M/WBE certification. The Brooklyn centre is listed at 9 Bond Street, 5th Floor, phone 347-296-8021; in-person appointments are recommended and walk-ins are accepted.¹⁷⁵

Your first-weeks checklist

• Check which Workforce1 or library career service is closest and book a session
• Confirm the minimum wage and your pay frequency in writing before you start
• Keep pay stubs and your schedule; note how your employer records hours
• Ask your employer how protected time off is tracked on your pay stub
• Open an account at an FDIC-insured bank or federally insured credit union
• Make an appointment for free tax help (NYC Free Tax Prep or VITA) before filing season
• If you moved to the City this year, ask about part-year forms IT-360.1 and IT-203
• Save the numbers for NYS Department of Labor and 311
• Before sending money abroad, compare the total cost and the delivered amount
• If starting a business, call the Brooklyn NYC Business Solutions Center