[cpfohl]

Yes, if you're: at a university. Oh, and if you support the University's mission. Oh, and if the University decides to allow it. Did you read the article? It wouldn't be New York State if there weren't 173 rules and regulations that had to be met before you were eligible.

[ajiang]

Ok, not really helpful.

You can't. The point of this program is to bring jobs to New york. You need to develop a forecast of new jobs your startup would bring to New York, which gets reported and reviewed on a regular basis. The penalties for not meeting those forecasts would be determined by your sponsoring university, which can include losing your tax free status for a year or getting kicked out of the program.

The regulations around this program aren't particularly onerous from reading the regulations document. You need to establish an understanding with a sponsoring university that your company will both benefit the community, the school's academic mission, and bring new jobs to New York. There are some reporting requirements, but that seems like a paltry ask compared to ~40-50% tax savings on profit and no income tax.