property taxes (Houston, Katy: rent, car registration, crime)

[buyacar]

what are the property taxes like in katy texas ? If your home value doubles does your taxes double also ?

[dcgirl]

If your home is homesteaded then the value can only appreciate 10% per year (and 30% the 3rd year if it hadn't been reappraised the previous 2 years). If you appraised value exceeds the 10% then you are assessed only on the extra 10% and the rest is captured the next year, and so on. The way the formula works, if your appraisal goes up 10% per year, then in 7 years 2 months your taxes will double.

Now if you add on to your home or improve it to add value then the 10% can be set aside. And if the tax rates go up, you taxes will go up as well.

If you don't homestead your property (you have to do this at the beginning of the year and can only have one property with this exemption) then the value is not limited by the 10% cap.

Be very wary of ALL the taxes that you will be paying - county, water district, college, hospital, port authority, etc. etc. in addition to the school taxes (and KISD is always looking for more money - much like all districts that don't believe they should control their spending).

[southaustingal]

Property taxes will be on the agenda for many state legislators when they meet this year. If you're concerned about what your appraisal might mean for your tax bill, shoot your representative a letter and let him or her know. Personally, I feel like I have an adjustable rate mortgage when my taxes come in. House payments are going up significantly with the appraisals, and Perry's tax cut isn't even felt, unfortunately. Well, maybe except in education funding, but certainly not in my wallet.

[mumbles]

Katy ISD is one of the worst. They give you a 15000 exemption but not the 20% discount the other school districts give for a homestead exemption.

Property tax is a crime. Even the feds take into account your income when before they tax you. Suppose a single mother struggling to make a living and support her children inherits a house when her parents die. Good chance she won't be able to keep it because she can't afford to pay the school and mud taxes.
Work a second job and save up enough money to buy a house for cash, yet you can't because you will forever have to pay tax. You never really own your home, if you fail to pay the tax it is taken away from you. Basically you just rent it from the school district. Lose your job, lose your home.
A state income tax would make more sense. An advertising tax on the billions of dollars companies spend on advertising would help.
More people would be able to afford homes if there was no property tax. This would be good for the economy and probably reduce crime as well.

[sammac]

They TAX the hell out of you. They have came up with many taxes in Texas that you dont find in other states. I have livein in 14 States and this is the worse for taxes. This is the NON sugar coated version

[starkt]

I'm surprised Texans would put up with taxes.

California is full of liberals/leftists who would love to tax us to death, but so far we've been able to keep them at bay.

Thanks to Prop. 13, our property tax is about 1% of the value of the house when it is purchased, and the assessed value cannot go up more than 2% a year after that (even if the market value of the house goes up a lot more.)

We do have a state income tax with a top rate of 10%, but you can deduct both the state income tax and your property tax from your gross income when you are figuring out your federal income tax for the last year. Then your state income tax is based on that reduced amount, so it really isn't that bad.

Another nice benefit of Prop. 13 is that school bonds and other bonds passed by voters must pass by 55% (it used to be by 2/3) or that new tax fails. And in the state legislature, no new taxes can be passed without a 2/3 vote. Luckily there are enough Republicans in the legislature to prevent new taxes. Although, I must admit that "fees" are not considered taxes, so the can be passed by a simple majority. But usually even they fail. Our last governor before Schwarzenegger largely got recalled because he wanted to raise the car registration fee.

You Texans need to rise up and have a tax revolt!

[alexei27]

Its worse than NY? Surprising but scary!!

[Need_affordable_home]

Now I see one reason why Texas has such cheap houses. Property taxes and other taxes make it hard to afford an expensive house. But even with all the taxes, Texas is still a good deal, where else can you get so much house in a metro city for so little? Theres even alot of $50k houses and property tax shoud be pretty low if you buy one of those.

[sammac]

Close to 2 grand a year for taxes on a 50 K home. Plus Houston has every tax known to mankind. Plus all kind of other schemes. THey now hav a new law if your car breaks down on the expressway it has to be mved within 30 minutes. The tow truck charge $140 to tow it off, if you dont have the $140 IT IS TOWED TO THE POUND SO THE DAILY CHARGES CAN START.

[adelicateimage]

im looking at houses in houston . im from rhode island.

if Houston's total tax rate is $ .62998 , and the house is valued at 99,000. what would the tax rate be?


Thanks,