Kocieniewski won Pulitzer Prizes in 2012 and 2013. He authored a series entitled, “But Nobody Pays That,” examining the efforts made by companies to reduce taxes and how the tax system should be revised, which was awarded the 2012 Pulitzer for explanatory reporting. The following year he wrote an exposé about Apple's tax avoidance strategies as part of the New York Times iEconomy series. That series, which was produced by 10 Times reporters in all, received the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting, for its “penetrating look into business practices by Apple and other technology companies that illustrates the darker side of a changing global economy for workers and consumers.” The jury added that Kocieniewski's work had “penetrated a legal thicket to explain how the nation’s wealthiest citizens and corporations often exploited loopholes and avoided taxes. Kocieniewski has also been the recipient of awards from: the New York State Bar Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the March Sidney Award for his General Electric Company exposé.”
Recognition
His book ‘The Brass Wall,’ was cited as one of the top 10 nonfiction books of 2003.
Acclaim
According to Glenn Kramon – Assistant Managing Editor at The New York Times – Kocieniewski is “a relentless, meticulous, fair-minded reporter with the patience to learn one of the most complicated beats in journalism. Many businesses and wealthy Americans count on the fact that people find taxes too difficult and boring, and therefore won’t be watching when they try questionable means of avoiding them. David helps ensure that attention will be paid.” According to Charles Kaiser – judge for the Sidney Awards in 2011 when Kocieniewski's article won – this was “a classic piece of investigative reporting. Kocieniewski demonstrates that G.E.’s experience is emblematic of the way more and more giant American corporations have figured out how to reduce their annual tax bills to something close to zero.”
Publications
Kocieniewski co-authored ‘Two Seconds Under the World,’ and wrote ‘The Brass Wall.’ During his studies at Binghamton, he wrote reviews for the local papers, The Evening Press and The Sun- Bulletin. His main focus as a student was on concerts: Aerosmith, John Cougar Mellencamp and The Grateful Dead. In the series he wrote, ‘But Nobody Pays That,’ Kocieniewski demonstrated the corruption of federal tax whereby America's corporate tax rate – 35 percent – is among the highest in the world but due to “a bounty of subsidies, shelters and special breaks,” most companies end up paying less than competitors abroad. Ultimately, the series exposed many of Corporate America's tax secrets.
