Trying to understand your taxes (Pittsburgh, Washington: insurance, neighborhoods, construction) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

Just Rachel · 08-26-2007, 07:22 PM

Wow! I see it can be confusing to live there! Thanks for all of the input everyone!

I'll forward it along to my daughter who rented a place in North Versailles.

cryschap · 10-19-2007, 11:24 AM

Sorry to bering this back up .... BUT... I have a question (as if it hasn't all been explained) I am comming from FL ie: we pay like NO taxes here. I plan to live in the burbs nt sure exactly where yet but def not in city limits. I have however lived places that charge local tax such as St Louis but I was exempted because I didn't live in St Louis County. If I live outside Allegheny CO do I still pay? Also ya'll said no personal property taxes so to clarify this does it mean NO tax on your car when you renew yearly? You pay for your tag and thats that? And another thing... IF I am working for a UPMC hospital that isn't technically in Pitt (I'll be at Children's) they said the address is Oakland. Do I pay Pitt Taxes? And how far does this free trash service extend? Just the inner city or all of the county? Phew I know thats alot.... thanks for answering!

guylocke · 10-19-2007, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Also ya'll said no personal property taxes so to clarify this does it mean NO tax on your car when you renew yearly?

Correct. I don't think people realize how much money is saved with no personal property tax. Those taxes blow.

Quote:

they said the address is Oakland. Do I pay Pitt Taxes?

I'd say yes, Oakland is technically in the city limits.

Don't forget, Pennsylvania also has no tax on food or clothes, nor do we tax your retirement if you plan on staying.

Also, there are several counties that are close by to Oakland that you may want to look into, Westmoreland County would be closest. Not only is every tax cheaper in Westmoreland County, but they also have 6% sales tax and not 7%.

Always remember, just like any large city, you'll pay more if you live in the County that the city resides in.

fleetiebelle · 10-19-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Also, there are several counties that are close by to Oakland that you may want to look into, Westmoreland County would be closest. Not only is every tax cheaper in Westmoreland County, but they also have 6% sales tax and not 7%.

I live in the the city and I work in the city, so I have a question. People talk about avoiding Allegheny county because of the taxes, but are you really seeing a big savings when you are lengthening your commute, spending more for gas, and putting more wear and tear on your car, among other things?

Maaz · 10-19-2007, 11:47 AM

Actually, you pay the city tax to where you live, not where you work. The 3% local tax applies only if you live in the city limits, not in the suburbs. You can still live in Allegheny County. However, most other municipalities charge 1% or 1.5% local tax, even in surrounding counties. The only exception to this rule is the $52/year local services tax which you would pay to Pittsburgh if you worked in the city limits (including Oakland). Also, coming from Florida, keep in mind that Pennsylvania also has a state income tax of 3.07%.

So you're looking at paying somewhere between 4.07% and 4.57% (or 6.07% if you live in the city limits), but the savings in housing costs, exempt sales tax items, etc. should more than make up for it.

cryschap · 10-19-2007, 11:48 AM

no personal property taxes are a blessing. We don't have any here in FL so I've gotten used to it. Its like $50 a year for my tag thats it. We also don't have inspections here. No food or clothing tax is good. So if I live in Westmoreland County is the wage tax less or not there? Do ya'll pay taxes on healthcare items like OTC meds etc? In FL there is no food tax and no medication tax, so if you buy tylenol theres no tax on it. It seems so scary to hear of all these taxes when you come from somewhere with barely any. But thankfully i have lived elsewhere where taxes were required so i won't be too shell shocked.

cryschap · 10-19-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maaz

Actually, you pay the city tax to where you live, not where you work. The 3% local tax applies only if you live in the city limits, not in the suburbs. You can still live in Allegheny County. However, most other municipalities charge 1% or 1.5% local tax, even in surrounding counties. The only exception to this rule is the $52/year local services tax which you would pay to Pittsburgh if you worked in the city limits (including Oakland). Also, coming from Florida, keep in mind that Pennsylvania also has a state income tax of 3.07%.

So you're looking at paying somewhere between 4.07% and 4.57% (or 6.07% if you live in the city limits), but the savings in housing costs, exempt sales tax items, etc. should more than make up for it.

The in general cost of livng with housing and utilities is what I'm looking at. I don't plan to live in city limits as I have children and want a safe place and somewhere for them to play. What about parking? I went through something similar when I was in NC and worked at UNC Hospital. We had to park and ride a city bus which they provided free of charge as an incentive to get ppl to park off campus. Working at Childrens Hospital is there any way to have free parking or at least cheap parking? I'll be on rotating 12 hour shifts.

Maaz · 10-19-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I live in the the city and I work in the city, so I have a question. People talk about avoiding Allegheny county because of the taxes, but are you really seeing a big savings when you are lengthening your commute, spending more for gas, and putting more wear and tear on your car, among other things?

There's no 'yes' or 'no' answer to this question. It depends on a variety of factors, including your lifestyle, how long the commute is, what kind of car you have, etc.

Some people prefer the suburban lifestyle and spend the majority of their time there. Young families often fall into this category, especially when only one of the parents work and the other stays home with the kids. Maybe the working parent lives 10 miles away from work and it's not a big deal to drive to work 5 days a week on their fuel efficent car.

Others (such as me) prefer to stay in the city most of the time. We often use the bus or the T to avoid having to find or pay for parking. We usually use cars only when needing to leave the city, and the extra tax is not a big deal.

guylocke · 10-19-2007, 12:54 PM

Quote:

I live in the the city and I work in the city, so I have a question. People talk about avoiding Allegheny county because of the taxes, but are you really seeing a big savings when you are lengthening your commute, spending more for gas, and putting more wear and tear on your car, among other things?

You have to remember one thing. Allegheny County is a big county and Pittsburgh is actually closer to Butler County, Armstrong County, Washington County, and Westmoreland County than it is to certain other ares of Allegheny County. Does that make sense?

If you work in Oakland, you could be in Westmoreland County in about a 10 to 15 minute drive or so. That's hardly a commute if you ask me.

It just all depends on where you live, so Maaz is right, it could be 'yes' or 'no'

I wouldn't look into Armstrong County, though, nothing going on there.

guylocke · 10-19-2007, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Working at Childrens Hospital is there any way to have free parking or at least cheap parking? I'll be on rotating 12 hour shifts.

There is tons of parking around UPMC hospitals in Oakland. I'm not sure what the specifics are for employee parking, but if you have to pay something, it will be discounted for sure.

You do realize all of this will change in about a year or two or when the brand new Children's Hospital opens in Lawrenceville? lol. You won't be in Oakland any longer.