A retired NYPD detective alleges he was wrongly hit with Canadian tax bills totaling $740,000 because his bosses never told him he’d be liable for the levy while abroad, according to a new lawsuit.
In 2011, Det. Michael Catlin landed a prestigious assignment with the NYPD’s International Liaison Program at its Toronto bureau, where he helped local law enforcement handle international crime and terrorism cases.
He ended up marrying a Canadian cop in 2015 and the pair had a child in 2018.
After obtaining his permanent resident status in 2018, Catlin learned he likely owed the Canadian government at least $250,000 for his earnings in the Great White North, which allegedly should have been covered by the NYPD, according to a complaint filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court.
When Catlin asked the NYPD for help to reduce the levies, he allegedly was rejected and took out a loan to pay off a staggering $245,000 tax bill, according to court records.
In April 2023, Catlin learned he owed the Canadian government another $250,000, which he paid off as well — only to discover less than a year later he was still on the hook for another $245,000 in back taxes, which would force him into bankruptcy, according to the complaint.
Catlin pointed out to the NYPD that it paid taxes for its Singapore liaison for more than a decade — and insisted he should receive the same benefits, according to the complaint.
But despite his years of begging for help, the NYPD allegedly shuttered both its Singapore and Toronto liaison outposts instead, forcing the department veteran to retire in May, according to the complaint.
“Detective Catlin exhausted every opportunity to resolve the matter without litigation, but the NYPD’s refusal to take responsibility left him with no choice but to fight for the justice and compensation he deserves,” said John Scola, an attorney for the retired cop.
An NYPD spokesperson declined to comment on pending litigation.
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