Cezary Podkul

Reporter

Photo of Cezary Podkul

Cezary Podkul is a reporter for ProPublica who writes about finance. Previously, he worked as a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and Reuters where he specialized in data-driven news stories. His work with Carrick Mollenkamp for Reuters’ Uneasy Money series was a finalist for the Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism. He has covered energy and commodities and the private equity industry, among other beats, after leaving investment banking in 2008 to pursue journalism.

Cezary earned a B.S. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 and is a 2011 alumnus of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, where he won the Melvin Mencher Prize for Superior Reporting. He is fluent in Polish.

Denmark Seeks EU Fix To ‘Div-Arb’ Deals

A Danish member of the European Parliament is asking the trading bloc’s executive arm to examine the tax avoidance deals, which are going on in at least 13 member states of the European Union.

Denmark Is Big Victim Of Wall Street Tax Avoidance Deals

The complex transactions add up to a meaningful loss of revenue from dividend taxes Danish taxpayers would otherwise get.

This Is What New York’s ‘Voluntary Compliance’ For Landlords Looks Like

Tenants overcharged by landlords who received property tax breaks shouldn’t expect much help from state regulators. Many are opting to go to court and, so far, they are winning big.

New York Isn’t Telling Tenants They May Be Protected From Big Rent Hikes

Due to an error by state officials, rent limits on tens of thousands of New York City apartments were improperly removed. Now, 20 years later, the state is relying on landlords to fix that problem. What could go wrong?

Meet the NYC Tax Break That Could Save You From Eviction Or A Big Rent Hike

A property tax benefit known as J-51 can mean the difference between a rent freeze and a sharp increase. Here is how to find out if your building qualifies.

Germany Waves ‘Auf Wiedersehen’ to Costly Wall Street Tax Scheme

The country’s lawmakers have enacted legislation to halt complex stock-lending deals detailed in a ProPublica investigation last month.

Prosecutor Targets Commerzbank for Deals That Dodge German Taxes

Officials in Frankfurt, Germany’s financial capital, have launched an investigation into tax avoidance trades enabled by the country’s second-largest bank.

German Finance Minister Cries Foul Over Tax Avoidance Deals

The German government may not be able to recover billions of dollars in lost dividend taxes from complex stock-lending deals that benefited U.S. and other foreign investors.

Tax Avoidance Has a Heartbeat

Every year at dividend time, demand to borrow German stocks spikes.

Wall Street Stock Loans Drain $1 Billion a Year From German Taxpayers

Carefully timed deals help big money managers skirt dividend taxes in 20 countries, confidential documents show.

Federal Government Finally Forgives Billions in Debt of Students Who’ve Become Disabled

The move comes after a ProPublica investigation that documented how the government was making it hard for disabled borrowers to get their loans forgiven.

Rent Limits Just a Fiction for Thousands of NYC Tenants, Records Disclose

Among other facts, newly released housing documents reveal that 239,000 regulated apartments have “preferential” rent, meaning landlords may be able to boost rents by more than what the city allows.

Is Your Doorman Getting Underpaid? Here’s How to Find Out.

Workers at big NYC apartment buildings that get a tax subsidy are supposed to be paid a prevailing wage set by the city comptroller. But they don’t always know it – and that can cost them.

NYC's Prevailing Wage Apartment Buildings

New York City biggest housing subsidy shells out $1.1 billion a year in property tax breaks to apartment and condo building owners. In return, they’re supposed to pay doormen, janitors and other service workers the “prevailing wage.” City officials provided this list of prevailing wage buildings after a public records request from ProPublica.

NYC Housing Official Pans Rent Reforms As ‘Waste’

City Council members want a new system and fines to be sure that landlords are complying with rent limits at up to 200,000 unregistered apartments.

NYC May Actually Crack Down on Developers Who Cheat Taxpayers and Renters

The head of the city’s housing department has laid out steps to boost oversight of tax breaks for developers and other programs overseen by the agency.

Renter Beware: Ten Ways Unscrupulous Landlords Cheat NYC Tenants

Here are the top 10 ways unscrupulous landlords take advantage of tenants, and what you can do about it.

NY Lawmakers Want Stiffer Penalties for Landlords Who Ignore Rent Limits

A bill introduced in response to ProPublica’s reporting would make landlords liable for up to 10 times the amount of overcharges imposed on tenants in rent-stabilized apartments.

NY State Data Indicates Even More Landlords Duck Rent Limits

As many as 200,000 New York City apartments could be missing from rent regulation as required by law, according to figures released by the state’s housing agency.

NYC Lets Luxury Building Owners Stiff Workers and Still Get a Tax Break

City regulators haven’t enforced a 2007 law that requires doormen, janitors and other service workers at taxpayer-subsidized apartment buildings to be paid wages comparable to union rates.

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