Maine: High taxes and low wages (Augusta, Orland: city hall, credit card, house)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I was going to post our numbers but the wife nixed that idea. Too private she says! Made me delete the message!

I do understand.

Is your sum total more than mine?

[ $800 + $41 + $226.50 + $550 + $0 + $0 + $2500 + $500 + $0 ] $4617.50

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I do understand.

Is your sum total more than mine?

[ $800 + $41 + $226.50 + $550 + $0 + $0 + $2500 + $500 + $0 ] $4617.50

Just the property taxes are over $4100.00

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Numbers:
Maine: House valuation $80,000
Property tax: [house] $800 + [41 acres of forest] $41
Home Owners insurance: $0
Car tags/fees/taxes for 2 old vehicles: $125 [this is a rough guess]
2008 Chevy Aveo excise taxes: $226.50
Car insurance: $550
Garbage: $0
Landfill: $0
Electricity: $2500
Health insurance through employer: $500
State income taxes: $0

ah ya....now thats some nice tax savings.......your a shrewd business person.Forest....

I will clarify that in Maine the phrase "2 old vehicles" with respect to excise taxes....doesn't hold much water......because instead of lowering the value of your car year over year like a lot of states......Maine keeps the origional value based on "sticker price" and lowers the mil rate...by year 6 the rate is locked at .0040 and thats it.....you pay the same rate for ever no matter how much older the car gets.

House valuation 186k----taxes+ $3600 (includes land)
home Ins. = $600
excise taxes for 2 vehicles---$360 (both vehicles are 2002)
Garbage $0.00
cars ins---$1400 I should shop around...we both have spotless driving history
water/sewer $600
health ins-$1800 a year(does not include co-pays ect)
CMP-$2565 for 2007
propane hot water/moniter heater-$4000
Income taxes--greater than $2000
Gas tax(2000 gallons at 27.6 cents) $552.00

I do not have figures for sales tax and fees ect?? I probaly don't want to know just in taxes and fees I pay...greater than $7100

P.S. other than income taxes...........its all public knowledge......anyone can call cmp and find out someones usage

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by flycessna

Gas tax(2000 gallons at 10.5 cents) $210.00

Actually Maine gas tax is 27.6 cents per gallon and diesel tax is 28.8 cents per gallon.fuel tax rates

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Fort Lauderdale mermaid

Heating oil vs. paying for air conditioning 12 months a year. The cost comparison is probably pretty close.

No way...............I just talked to my brother in Orlando who has a heat pump...I compared his house to my inlaws....they are similiar in size.......his electricity bill is the same as my inlaws oil bill. but they still have to pay electricity...Maine has some of the highest rates (40 states are less) and they just announced another raise. My in laws are empty nesters who both still work and keep the house really cool....they are very frugal. My brother on the other hand has two "girls" (iam not implying anything) and someone is always home.

example 2000 Sf home uses 1000 gallons of oil at $3.25= $3250
plus a cmp bill of about $1200 a year. total $4450 ($370 a month) And if your from florida that means freezing your ass off all winter

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by flycessna

ah ya....now thats some nice tax savings.......your a shrewd business person.Forest....

I will clarify that in Maine the phrase "2 old vehicles" with respect to excise taxes....doesn't hold much water......because instead of lowering the value of your car year over year like a lot of states......Maine keeps the origional value based on "sticker price" and lowers the mil rate...by year 6 the rate is locked at .0040 and thats it.....you pay the same rate for ever no matter how much older the car gets.

According to Maine.gov

Maine Revenue Services: Property Tax -

WHERE CAN A TOWN GET THE MSRP?
There are several resources for the MSRP that will provide the information on the retail price of a vehicle. New vehicles are required to have a window sticker that must be must be presented on first time registrations.
For used cars, one can use the NADA Guide , the New Car Cost Guide , the Automobile Red Book and the Automobile Blue Book

So on used cars they do use the blue book value.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

According to Maine.gov

Maine Revenue Services: Property Tax -



So on used cars they do use the blue book value.

I did not know that..I was just on that website....but....you have to know this?? At least in my own experience.. blue book is the worst guide for car values...dealers use a the yellow book...and in every instance from my own experience...blue book was hire then what the car could actually sell for.

but again my point was that once you reach the 6th year mil rate thats it......it never goes down again.

[flycessna]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Actually Maine gas tax is 27.6 cents per gallon and diesel tax is 28.8 cents per gallon.fuel tax rates

My bad....I was looking at how much more than NH our gas tax is.......ignorance "was" bliss

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

They are completely different things.

Saying that some where has high taxes, would imply that everyone there pays high taxes.

Or saying that the combination of all taxes is higher, would imply that all taxes in all forms when combined would be higher.

In Maine we know that both of these scenarios are false.

Maine does not have higher taxes.

Maine does not have a higher combination of all taxes.

Only by going to a 'tax burden' method of twisting the numbers can you twist the facts to support a false argument that it is higher.

What I was trying to say is that whether or not taxes or a tax burden were the case, the cost of living in this state, for what ever reason, is relatively high compared to the typical wage. Maybe this situation is just unique to the Portland area, I don't know as this is the only location in this state that I have lived in. But it is not just my observation though, as I have heard this countless times from other people (around Portland).

Figures for wages earned are not a reliable source as they are based on the median income. Median is an average, but it is an average based on the number that is exactly in the middle. For example, the number 50 is in the middle of 101; there are 49 numbers above and 49 numbers below it. But if you add up the numbers above it you will see that they equal a number far greater then do the numbers 1 to 49. It's the exact same thing when you see that the median income for the state of Maine; an equal amount of people make more then the median, while an equal amount make less.

Here's an article in todays Portland Press Herald regarding a possible tax increase for the state of Maine.

Shortfall to force difficult choices | Portland Press Herald (http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=173415&ac=PHnws - broken link)

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

So on used cars they do use the blue book value.

NO!!!!! They use the blue book to find the MSRP when the vehicle was new. Not the value of the vehicle when you buy it, or register it for the first time in the State. If this is the numbers you used when you registered your vehicles, you need to make a change pronto because if the state finds out this is how you determined value for excise taxes, you are going to get screwed in penalties if they catch up with the error.

Straight from the Maine Revenue Service web site: Maine Revenue Services: Property Tax -

WHERE DO I PAY THE EXCISE TAX?

Excise Tax is paid at the local town office where the owner of the vehicle resides. When a vehicle needs to be registered, an excise tax is collected prior to the registration.



HOW MUCH IS THE EXCISE TAX?

The amount of tax is determined by two things:

1. The age of the vehicle
2. MSRP (manufactured suggested retail price)



HOW IS THE EXCISE TAX CALCULATED?

Excise Tax is calculated by multiplying the MSRP by the mil rate as shown below. The rates drop back on January 1 st of each year.



YEAR 1 .0240 mil rate

YEAR 2 .0175 mil rate

YEAR 3 .0135 mil rate

YEAR 4 .0100 mil rate

YEAR 5 .0065 mil rate

YEAR 6 .0040 mil rate



For example, a 3 year old car with an MSRP of $19,500 would pay $263.25.



WHERE DOES THE EXCISE TAX GO?



The town that collects the excise tax can use it as revenue towards the annual town budget. Typically, the revenue is spent on local road maintenance, construction and repair.



WHY IS THE TAX BASED ON MSRP?

Excise Tax was designed with equity in mind. In 1925, this tax was enacted as a Maine Law. At that time, the Legislature decided that the fairest tax assessment would be based on what the manufacturer suggests it sell for.

This law remained in effect for over 75 years to ensure that everyone who drives the same vehicle pay the same amount of tax.