My town is taxing me on my possessions? (Worcester, Brewster: car registration, health insurance)

[SoFresh99]

I think this is crazazee, I've never heard of them coming in and taking stock on your furniture. How do they even know you own it? Many people lease office equipment and rent furniture- would that be taxed? What about a designer wardrobe? Expensive cosmetics? A wine collection? Where do they draw the line?

I just can't understand how all of these towns with these incredibly high home valuations (I'm talkin'' to you Newton) don't have enough money.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by Pear Martini

The taxes here are ridiculous and meanwhile it seems like everyone here who didn't go to college is on section 8, WIC, foodstamps, or something else. I'm going to guess around 20-25% of people in MA are on government benefits while hardworking broke students who are going in to debt are paying for it.

This is a gross generalization. Many people who never went to traditional college are more successful than some white collar people. There are plumbers, beauticians and restaurant owners who do well and will never need government benefits of any kind. While I have witnessed a college student or two use an EBT card to buy sirloin and lobster and drive away from the grocery store in their mini-Cooper or BMW.

[Dean Trails]

"Moving is not an option due to family and a business."

Then, i suppose you will have to suck it up and pay for the people that don't want to contribute. The day they taxed some boulders on my property is the day i sold the business and said,,Bye Bye!

In too many places now the hard workers are paying for the ones on the dole.

Get a van, live down by the river,,,

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by SoFresh99

I think this is crazazee, I've never heard of them coming in and taking stock on your furniture. How do they even know you own it? Many people lease office equipment and rent furniture- would that be taxed? What about a designer wardrobe? Expensive cosmetics? A wine collection? Where do they draw the line?

I just can't understand how all of these towns with these incredibly high home valuations (I'm talkin'' to you Newton) don't have enough money.

It's called a personal property tax form and all businesses (S-corps, C-corps, LLCs, Partnerships) need to file it annually. We're not talking about individuals like you and me. I file one every year for my company and each of our US subsidiaries. Also, this is not a Massachusetts thing - I file one in NC and one in WA too.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd

A guy with a clip board from the town of Brewster just came into my office
and told me he was here to make note of our office equipment so the town can tax us on it.

Remember when your CPA described the business purchases
that you could capitalize or use (vs sell) and thus avoid paying sales tax on?

Now you're experiencing the other side of that.

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by Cape Cod Todd

A guy with a clip board from the town of Brewster

I also got a letter in the mail that they need to enter my residence to take stock and if they don't get in then they will make a estimate.

Has anyone else had the taxman come to their door to tax things you already payed taxes on?

Serious? Or is my leg being pulled...Someone with a clipboard will enter your home and snoop around to see what you own? And if you own cool stuff (that you paid for with your hard earned money and paid sales tax on) they will make you throw more in the community pot?

Wow... I'm from California and I've never heard of this.
What if, like in my case, you live in a cheap apartment, and have old furniture and hardly have an updated wardrobe because I scrimped and saved to buy a baby grand piano because I play and that's what I love? Would I pay extra for having a piano but then get a tax break cause my clothes are old and I buy stuff at the dollar store? Someone would actually come into my private space and look around with a clipboard?

I suddenly have a sick feeling in my tummy.

[495neighbor]

Originally Posted by Podo944

Serious? Or is my leg being pulled...Someone with a clipboard will enter your home and snoop around to see what you own? And if you own cool stuff (that you paid for with your hard earned money and paid sales tax on) they will make you throw more in the community pot?

Wow... I'm from California and I've never heard of this.
What if, like in my case, you live in a cheap apartment, and have old furniture and hardly have an updated wardrobe because I scrimped and saved to buy a baby grand piano because I play and that's what I love? Would I pay extra for having a piano but then get a tax break cause my clothes are old and I buy stuff at the dollar store? Someone would actually come into my private space and look around with a clipboard?

I suddenly have a sick feeling in my tummy.

Unlikely, unless your business was music teacher or musician.

[atlaw]

Originally Posted by Dean Trails

But, i rather doubt you and your neighbors will revolt. You have to start at the ballot box. If you keep voting in folks that want your money then meh!

Also, why not leave? Many nicer state to consider that don't treat you a a checkbook.

The power is in your hands, use it or stay quiet.

This is just one of the many reasons we left mass. And we'll never will go back. I think that these things came to you slowly enough the folks there think its normal! Get out while you can-there are many nicer states to live in. they even have a "view" tax in some places there!

[Parsec]

Originally Posted by Podo944

Serious? Or is my leg being pulled...Someone with a clipboard will enter your home and snoop around to see what you own? And if you own cool stuff (that you paid for with your hard earned money and paid sales tax on) they will make you throw more in the community pot?

Wow... I'm from California and I've never heard of this.
What if, like in my case, you live in a cheap apartment, and have old furniture and hardly have an updated wardrobe because I scrimped and saved to buy a baby grand piano because I play and that's what I love? Would I pay extra for having a piano but then get a tax break cause my clothes are old and I buy stuff at the dollar store? Someone would actually come into my private space and look around with a clipboard?

I suddenly have a sick feeling in my tummy.

I'm with 495neighbor on this. I don't see the point of this post and I think everyone posting here is very misguided about the personal property tax for businesses. This tax is only for equipment used for business purposes. I think the main confusion is the difference in corporate vs. individual taxes. We pay very little income tax in MA as individuals because businesses are taxed much higher. I know I'd be paying a lot more taxes if I lived in RI, CT, NY, NJ, etc.

By the way, I work for a company that earns hundreds of millions of dollars per year and we only pay Boston about $600/year in personal property tax. It's not a lot of money. That's the equivalent of a few cents per year for you and me.

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by Parsec

I'm with 495neighbor on this. I don't see the point of this post and I think everyone posting here is very misguided about the personal property tax for businesses. This tax is only for equipment used for business purposes. I think the main confusion is the difference in corporate vs. individual taxes. We pay very little income tax in MA as individuals because businesses are taxed much higher. I know I'd be paying a lot more taxes if I lived in RI, CT, NY, NJ, etc.

By the way, I work for a company that earns hundreds of millions of dollars per year and we only pay Boston about $600/year in personal property tax. It's not a lot of money. That's the equivalent of a few cents per year for you and me.

Thanks for clarifying... didn't get it was only for business. I think it was the "entering the home" part that gave me a knee jerk reaction. Strangers with clipboards and personal space is a bad mix!