Reality

[laxwyo]

To replace property taxes with sales taxes would require a sales tax rate in excess of 30%. You want to collapse the state…do that.

I don't want to replace the income. thanks.

 

[laxwyo]

It's wild to me that people care more about abortion laws and who uses what bathroom than they do if our water is safe to drink or if our bridges are safe to drive on. We must have it pretty damn good if that's the kind of stuff we spend our time worrying about.

imagine a world where people aren't talking about our government being $36T in debt and pretending like the status quo will go on forever. People are literally talking about what music to play as the titanic sinks.

 

[LanderPoke]

So what services are you willing to give up when you opt out of paying taxes? Sewer? Water? Fire? Ambulance? Hospital? Plowed roads? Roads generally? Police?

No, the other taxes I mentioned would have to make up for the lost property tax revenue if property taxes were lowed/abolished. Taxes need to be lowered across the board, though. You know what? Maybe the private sector could do some of these jobs, and I bet they would do better and more efficiently. I’d even favor an income tax (flat tax) over property tax. I just really hate property tax. Once you own something you should own it, not rent it from the government

But I do maintain that wealthy boomers legislating to just opt themselves out of the current system and leaving the rest of us high and dry is BULL SHYTE

 

[Steamboat]

Arizona - same value $5,000 per year, state income tax and 9-10% sales tax except groceries.

I don't smoke or drink, but on top of the federal tax on these items, the city also add a tax.

 

[Brew_Poke]

There was a revolution so we could have property taxes? Did we read the same Declaration of Independence? Which amendment of the US constitution protects property taxes?

Another point, you’re being taxed on unrealized gains in the value of an asset. Most Americans scoffed at a wealth tax on unrealized gains in stock for wealthy Americans when it was proposed by Biden but are totally ok when it’s done to the majority of Americans on their single largest asset. Oredigger loved to point out exemptions when it came to property tax but casually overlooked our sales tax exemption on foods.

Sales tax can also be done differently than how we do it. Wyoming could easily do a state version of Fairtax, which is a higher sales tax but everyone gets a rebate so that the poor downtrodden don’t have to contribute to the society from which they consume so much from. And people who don’t own a house can help fund all these “essential” services government provides. People would rightly criticize a sales tax on a home but then turn around and support a tax on the unrealized gains in value of that home in perpetuity .

If there’s one thing government schools do brilliantly, it’s teaching kids that the solution to every problem is… more government. Everything else? Not so much.”

You are undefeated at straw man construction. I'm done. Take your bad faith arguments elsewhere.

 

[Brew_Poke]

I am having a tough time completely understanding your argument.

It doesn't sound so much like you want lower overall taxes, just that you want the tax revenue to be shifted to sales tax instead of property tax. Is this correct? And if so, can you explain why you think that is preferable? I'm not understanding exactly what makes property taxes so much worse than other taxes.

I don't know exactly how property taxes work in Wyoming, but at least in Texas, what I pay in property taxes doesn't really change a whole lot even if the value of my home changes significantly. This is because the taxing entities set a budget, then look at the average valuation of the homes that fall within it jurisdiction, and adjust their tax rate accordingly. So if there is a significant increase in property values, the tax rate declines to offset the home value increase.

Also, renters do most certainly contribute to property taxes indirectly. Rental rates are calculated to ensure the rents coming in cover any property tax payments due on the property. I own several rental houses, and one of the things we do every year is adjust the rental rate, in part, for changes in property taxes on the properties.

In the end, the state needs to bring in a certain amount of tax revenue to meet their budget. Each individual's preference for how they do that is primarily driven by their own personal situation. People who own multiple high value properties typically prefer lower property taxes in favor of raising taxes elsewhere. Someone who owns a single small low value home would likely prefer a higher property tax rate and lower taxes elsewhere.

Property owners want free shit.