How much does the tax burden influence where you choose to live?

[UNC4Me]

0

[TheTimidBlueBars]

I never thought I'd be in this situation, but I recently moved from California back to Washington in part because there's no income tax here.

After spending months unemployed and burning through savings, I suddenly got job offers in CA, WA, and VA. The WA one had the lowest salary range by a bit, but after taking into account taxes, driving tolls, etc. (and of course having more of a network here) it made the most sense financially.

I do think we should pay for the services and infrastructure we use, as well as just to maintain the functioning society we live in. But I'm no longer mentally dismissive of people who move for lower taxes, without considering what their situation might be (which I was stupid to ever be).

[elchevere]

Originally Posted by TheTimidBlueBars

I never thought I'd be in this situation, but I recently moved from California back to Washington in part because there's no income tax here.

After spending months unemployed and burning through savings, I suddenly got job offers in CA, WA, and VA. The WA one had the lowest salary range by a bit, but after taking into account taxes, driving tolls, etc. (and of course having more of a network here) it made the most sense financially.

I do think we should pay for the services and infrastructure we use, as well as just to maintain the functioning society we live in. But I'm no longer mentally dismissive of people who move for lower taxes, without considering what their situation might be (which I was stupid to ever be).

I have no problem paying taxes for essential services….what pissed me off in CA was that I was paying taxes (yes, I realize I’m co-mingling property taxes with state income tax in some cases) but getting more homeless, voice recordings instead of live police dispatchers, loud police helicopter flyovers (often in the middle of the night that woke and kept me up) after a crime was committed vs more patrol car street presence that acts as a deterrent, and crumbling infrastructure such as crappy roads with potholes and broken sewer mains

where did my tax monies go???

[AnubisMoon]

I think about it from time to time, but it’s never enough for me to leave (yet), it feels more like an investment to be in a place like northern NJ where people pay for convenience. The endless opportunities and extensive means of transportation to get around. It pushes people to work smarter, be more innovative and all around more productive. If you can flourish here you can thrive anywhere as opposed to say, rural parts of the Deep South where taxes are inanely low yet vast parts of the population still remain stagnant and impoverished and never leave the country, if even the state. There are some things I envy about Texas/sunbelt cities when it comes to a lower cost of living all together, but who knows how much longer it will be considered affordable/worth it.

[Pomelo]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

The bad one for us is property tax, not at $12,000/year. When I retire next year we we move about an hour away where the same 3,000 sf house would be taxed less than half that much, and also downsize.

Seattle area property tax rates area are a fraction of NY/NJ/CT/IL.

0.75% to 1.25% of market price is a pretty good deal with no income tax. Those other states have 2%+ property tax plus income taxes, plus numerous tolls and fees. Even Texas has higher property tax rates, plus all their tolls and inspection fees and whatnot.

[mhays25]

I pay about 0.65% for my Seattle condo. That's including a lot of voter-approved increases for school construction etc. (I vote yes of course).

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by Pomelo

Seattle area property tax rates area are a fraction of NY/NJ/CT/IL.

0.75% to 1.25% of market price is a pretty good deal with no income tax. Those other states have 2%+ property tax plus income taxes, plus numerous tolls and fees. Even Texas has higher property tax rates, plus all their tolls and inspection fees and whatnot.

With NY, the rate is higher in parts of the state due to homes being more affordable. I don't think people realize this with parts of those states, as the rate may be higher, but that doesn't necessarily mean you pay more in property taxes. If you are paying the amount of taxes Hemlock140 mentioned in my part of NY, you likely can do so and you are living in an upper middle class to affluent area.

[arr430]

The easiest legal way to be a tax protester is don't buy anything at retail. Retail sales, US, is $700 billion a year Except food and utilities, it's around half a trillion in "impulse" purchases, maybe $5,000 a year per household, or $400 in totally frivolous sales taxes. Just don't.