Alabama sales taxes (Birmingham, Huntsville, Hoover: property taxes, house, rental)

[Normajo]

Originally Posted by actractorguy

I wouldn't get all bent out of shape about it. According to MSN Money, Alabama ranks #50 (yes, dead last) in overall tax burden. Having lived in both AL and MS, I can guarantee you that, even though AL sales tax is 2-3% higher, income tax is lower in AL, and their property taxes are the lowest you will find anywhere. MS car tags for a new car can cost as much as property taxes!!!

Without senior homestead exemptions (young families raising children need residential exemptions too), the AL property taxes are very high, compared to, say Louisiana, which gives seniors $75,000 of the value of their homes tax free.

[Normajo]

Originally Posted by nalabama

Alabama has high sales taxes (and applies them to medical and food) because that is the only tax that counties can increase without having to put the increase to a vote. IIRC, if a county wants to increase any other tax, they must get the approval of the entire Alabama legislature; one "no" by one individual legislator kills the whole deal and requires at least a local referendum and sometimes a statewide vote by the citizens.

Alabama does in fact have homestead exemption, it's just not a whole lot of $$$. Seniors get an additional exemption on their homestead as well, but--again--it's not a whole lot of $$$.

I heard that AL has a homestead exemption of $15,000 - from a guy in Brundidge. From a realtor in Anniston, I heard that residential taxes are one half the rate of rental properties. I hear all kinds of things.
I asked everyone inthe courthouse in Anniston if they had any foreclosure properties & everyone there said foreclosurers do not go through the court house. HUH??? How can you force someone out of their house without a legally notorized paper from a sheriff???
I wrote, called, & e mailed chambers of commerce in Phenix City (a woman named Kelly in P. City) & other places, & never received any answers to any of my questions at all.
I felt like I was in The Twilight Zone!

[Normajo]

Originally Posted by actractorguy

I wouldn't get all bent out of shape about it. According to MSN Money, Alabama ranks #50 (yes, dead last) in overall tax burden. Having lived in both AL and MS, I can guarantee you that, even though AL sales tax is 2-3% higher, income tax is lower in AL, and their property taxes are the lowest you will find anywhere. MS car tags for a new car can cost as much as property taxes!!!

Money magazine is crazy. They ranked Aiken, SC as a best place to retire. Aiken has the former atomic bomb manufacturing plant (now a reprocessing plant) & the nuclear dumping ground of the world right beside it, quite carcinogenic.

[marysally]

On second thought, Normajo, keep banging the drums about how high the taxes are in AL! LOL!! I was beginning to be concerned that the Floridians would discover what a wonderful, inexpensive place AL is, and decide to move here as they have to the N GA mountains. Keep up the good work.

[Twostep]

Originally Posted by Normajo

FL property taxes are unbelievable! I would not live there because of taxes first, the storms second, & the potable water third.
Greenwood, SC for now has a 5% sales tax, 3% tax on food, a $50,000 property tax exemption for seniors & some legislators are trying to up that amount or eliminate property taxes on residents altogether. After all, you can never own your house - which should be your castle - as long as you have an eternal mortage on it, as property taxes are.
We voted in a temporary 1% sales tax increase beginning in May to build a new $10,000,000 library & upgrade a dam.
I did not move to AL because of the enormous property taxes & sales taxes. Your utilities are all much higher too, so are your gasoline prices. If you don't believe me, just come here for a visit.
Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed

You may be better off where you are after all. So far I have not been able to figure out what you are trying to say.

[Normajo]

Originally Posted by Twostep

You may be better off where you are after all. So far I have not been able to figure out what you are trying to say.

I am disappointingly better off where I am.
I said plainly all I wanted to say, wish I could get straight answers - facts & figurers from people in AL.
I wish the people in AL would protest being given the shaft, paying through the nose.
Like I said, just compare your taxes to what interest rates you would get at a bank.
I want better quality of life for all people everywhere & improvements can be made. I think that is all I wanted to say, to answer your question - LOL!
Blessings to all of you!

[Twostep]

Originally Posted by Normajo

A house I considered seriously about buying in Sylacauga would cost - city & county - almost $3,000 a year in property taxes.

At 360 per 100k according to the tax assessor not a bad place. I only worked in Sylacauga for a short period of time as the commute killed me but I remember some very nice people and great small shops.

[nalabama]

I am somewhat familar with Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, which is a predominately rural parish where the homestead exemption is indeed $75,000 of appraised value and the average millage rate for the parish is approximately 100 mills. Compare this with a predominately rural county in North Alabama (Marshall), which has an average millage rate of roughly 45 mills (33.5 to 50 mills for its component governmental entities). Alabama's homestead exemption is $4,000 of assessed value, or $40,000 of appraised value.

Best as I can figure and based upon on these numbers, a resident homeowner with a $200,000 house in these states would pay $1,250 in property taxes in Louisiana as compared to $800 in property taxes in the most highly taxed municipality (Arab) in Marshall County, Alabama. Alabama still appears to have an advantage when it comes to property taxes.

[Normajo]

Originally Posted by nalabama

I am somewhat familar with Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, which is a predominately rural parish where the homestead exemption is indeed $75,000 of appraised value and the average millage rate for the parish is approximately 100 mills. Compare this with a predominately rural county in North Alabama (Marshall), which has an average millage rate of roughly 45 mills (33.5 to 50 mills for its component governmental entities). Alabama's homestead exemption is $4,000 of assessed value, or $40,000 of appraised value.

Best as I can figure and based upon on these numbers, a resident homeowner with a $200,000 house in these states would pay $1,250 in property taxes in Louisiana as compared to $800 in property taxes in the most highly taxed municipality (Arab) in Marshall County, Alabama. Alabama still appears to have an advantage when it comes to property taxes.

I wonder where that guy got a $15,000 exemption figure?
So, it is $4,000 of assessed value in every county of AL?
Thanks for the info!

[marysally]

I'm not sure what Normajo's problem is -- I told her exactly what my property taxes were for my 2000 sqft 3/2/2 brick house in Madison -- $707 with only homestead exemption and no senior exemption!